Greetings, attractable female earthling
by Mr.Biscuit
Summary: A certain raven-haired girl was in her room alone when suddenly, an orange-haired alien beamed down and demanded something very lemony of her. And how shall she deal with him? ICHIRUKI!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

It was a snowy winter night. A raven-haired girl watched the snowflakes through her window, her violet orbs gently caressing the sight of the full moon illuminating every snowflake that fell. Her romance manga lay open in front of her, but she paid no heed to it, and dreamily watched the snowflakes drifting outside. She stretched and yawned, then flipped herself onto her stomach, her petite body stretched on top of the pink bed that was adorned with rabbit-shaped patterns.

Unlike most teenagers, she looked forward to when the weekend is over, and when she can use school as an excuse to not stay at home. She flipped through her romance manga half-heartedly, as she had already read it so many times that she could memorise the plot.

Suddenly, a bright beam shot down in front of her. Her hands instinctively flew up to shield her eyes from the blinding light that lit up every inch of her rabbit-themed bedroom. The raven-haired girl dizzily felt that she couldn't breathe from the shock.

As the light slowly faded, she saw that there was something that was standing in the midst of the light beam. _Or someone, _she concluded, as her eyes tried desperately to adjust to the light and the shape she now see was definitely the shape of a man.

The light faded completely and she lowered her hands uncertainly, only to be shocked almost to the point of insanity when the ...creature in front of her spoke.

"Greetings, attractable female earthling."

She opened her mouth to it's widest to scream, but she realized that she couldn't in her shock. Her body was frozen rigid, and her already big eyes were widened in the sight that stood calmly in front of her.

That bright orange hair clashed horribly against the soft pink chappy wallpaper of her room.

"I come in peace, and have no intention of performing any actions that may contain any potential harm, physically, mentally or emotionally towards you, your kin or any of your fellow earthlings,"

Two thin feelers stood above the orange hair.

"You may be pondering on the motive which I act upon to be in such a place."

His-''_it's definitely a 'he''' _,she thought,dazed,- body is cladded in a tight suit which seems to be made out of some sort of shiny and rubbery material. And apparently so are his boots.

"On my home planet, our maturity is confirmed not by age, as in the ways of your planet, but by sexual intercourse."

_...is he an ...alien?!_

"It is a fact that you humans are not at all selective towards your sexual partner and their loyalty, and perform sexual intercourse for it's pleasure rather than it's functions."

_...yes, just look at those feelers... this is a dream, then..?_

"Matured citizens of our planet have privileges that I cannot go without any longer. Be assured that though we may have our differences, they are more in the levels of intelligence. The only physical differences are our feelers, possibly our hair colour, our three fingers instead of your four, and the superior size of our genitals."

_...wake up..._

"Worry not, female earthling. It's size, nor the sexual intercourse that we shall perform will damage or effect your reproductive organs in any way, as our kind can control the flow of our reproductive fluid, besides having superior self-control and intellect."

_...huh...? ..Sexual...intercourse...?_

_WHAT!!!???!!!?!_

She struggled to sit up, her face still frozen in it's previous state that betrayed her one emotion: shock. "W-wha-??"

" Please remain calm. I have already clearly stated that it will not, I repeat, will not, damage or effect your reproductive organs in any way, nor will have any apparent effects on your memory, except those of a dream. In simpler terms, I will wipe your memory so that you will remember tonight as nothing more than a dream. Also, do not worry of causing a disturbance, understand that I have already made this room sound-proof for tonight. This very conversation is confined within these walls. "

"I understand...!! But-"

"Good. I am pleased. For traditions sake, I shall tell you my name. I am Kurosaki Ichigo15xv."

The petite girl continued to stutter, now feeling confused and a little bit scared. " Y-You don't understand-"

But the alien cut in, saying, " Though you may not treasure tonight in any way as in the way of humans, I appreciate you helping me obtain the privileges I am in dire need of to reach my goal. Now, with all those aside, let us begin."

The girl gasped as the alien approached her and took hold of her shoulder. She panicked and slapped him right across his face. It wasn't a very hard slap as she never slapped anyone before. The alien was surprised, but he did not let go of her shoulder, and catched both her wrists as she tried to hit him.

"G-Go !! Go away!! " she cried in a high-pitched voice. The alien looked at her, but didn't pay any attention to her as he muttered to himself. "I must be missing a vital point, that the female earthling is refusing..."

"No you are not!! P-Please go!!" she yelled. The alien continued to ponder, then said with a fake smile, "Forgive me, I forgot one vital point in sexual intercourse." He firmly held both her wrists with one large hand while the other unhooked a badge hanging from his belt. It was light brown in colour and had a skull on it. It had numerous buttons on the other side.

"I forgot to turn the lights off."

The girl yelled as he pinned her to the bed and pressed a button. Instantly the lights went off.

"Now let us-"

THWOCK.

The lights went on again as the alien inspected the bruise on his jaw. The raven-haired girl had slammed her head onto the alien in protest and was now struggling to stay conscious from the impact of the collision.

"I must be missing something still." he muttered, rubbing his hurting jaw. "Lights... I have already done that... my name I have given... and my greetings too.."

The life form underneath him stirred feebly. "N-no don't turn off lightss...don't..t."

"Leave the lights on..?" he tapped the skull-badge in his left hand subconsciously. "Well... the guide-book did say that it was optional...

"Fine." said the orange-haired alien. "But I am still missing- I remember now!"

So when the petite human came to her senses, she found the alien grinning confidently at her, purring, "Hello... honey bunny."

"GET OFF ME!!" she screamed, and struggled under his weight, but he only said, "Sshh, honey bunny."

He was lying on top of her, and both her wrists were firmly held by his right hand above her head. She was completely helpless as he was too strong, not to mention heavy. He purred the nickname again and tried to kiss her.

"For the last time, you alien fathead, GET OFF ME!!!" she trashed her head around violently.

"I would conclude that they need time to realize the situation around them, thus she needs time to understand that she is in a suitable situation for sexual intercourse..." muttered the alien, none too silently.

"Honey bunny... please calm down..."

The girl was finally tired out from struggling and finally decided give in, letting the alien, Kurosaki Ichigo15xv kiss her.

Her whole body relaxed, and she even kissed back. They both kissed clumsily, a sign of their first kiss.

The alien broke the kiss, saying, " At last, you have calmed down, honey bunny." The girl smiled back, and he loosen his hold on her wrists, so that she could put her arms around his neck , pulling him down for another kiss. The alien complied, and she moved her right hand down his left arm and grasping his hand passionately.

Her lips were slightly separated, letting the alien slide his tongue into her mouth...

"-AAAARGH!!!!!!!"

Drops of blood stained the pink bedsheets. The alien drew back, blood dripping from his mouth.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT??!!!?? ANSWER, HUMAN!!!!!!!"

The petite girl glared at him, biting her lower lip with distaste from kissing the alien, and from biting his tongue as hard as she could.

In her right hand was the alien's skull-badge.

He saw it clearly.

"Heh... hey... honey bunny... that's not a toy... give it back, honey-"

"SHUT UP !!! " the petite girl yelled, and the alien's eyes widened. " You barge in here, too smug to even realize the possibility that I may refuse what you want me to do!! You keep cutting in on my sentences, and refuse to listen to me!!"

They were sitting across each other on the bed now, the alien wiping the blood dripping down, all the while focusing on the skull-badge in her hand.

The girl growled and grabbed his feelers. "Look at me while I am talking!!"

The alien gazed at her hold on his feelers.

"Nice try, human. Many assume that our feelers are fragile, though they are, in reality, as firmly attached as our limbs."

The girl pulled his head closer to her. " Oh, no...", she whispered softly.

She kicked him hard between the legs.

His eyes widened, with pain in addition to shock, as he fell off the bed unto the floor. He curled up in pain, his eyes watering.

The petite girl knelt at the edge of the bed and glared at him, the skull-badge still clutched firmly in her hand.

"FILTHY HUMAN!!!" the alien yelled, writhing in his pain. His tongue started to bleed again. "I GIVE YOU THE HONOUR OF BEING MY "MATURITY MATE" AND THIS IS WHAT I GET???!!!?"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!" she yelled back. She jerked her thumb towards her chest.

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia!!!!"


	2. The alien in my closet

**A/N: I know Rukia's the 'alien' in the original story, and I have got it all the other way around, but it'll seem less bitchy and easier to dominate if it was Ichigo. And I have my reasons, so read on to find out what they are. Lessee... I do not own Bleach ( seriously, I don't !! (Surprise, surprise!!) **

**I would appreciate it if you guys help in any way you can to improve my writing skills as there is ALWAYS room for improvement!!! Yeah!!! Also, some people may be wondering why Ichigo called Rukia 'attractable' as if he was a magnet and she a piece of metal lol. Well, it's because to him humans are sex crazy and well, he already said it. Don't blame Ichigo. We humans are kinda like what he said. (hangs head in shame)**

**Lastly, this fic won't be a lemony fic, too bad for the perverts out there. **

**On with the story!**

**-----------------**

"...Let me go."

"And have you harass me again? No way."

"Listen, you female earthling..."

"You will address me as Kuchiki-sama."

"I will not." came the angry voice. "-_sama _is a term used among your kind in addressing one of superiority, which you, without any doubt, are not."

"Fine." said the petite girl. "Stay like that forever."

The alien sat on the floor, his arms bound at the sides of his body with _pink_ rabbit-patterned tape, and so were his ankles which were bounded together. Empty rolls which previously held all those tape were scattered around on the floor.

Rukia had attacked him with all those tape when in his moment of weakness, and now they sat facing each other, she on the bed, the alien on the floor, fuming.

His calm, fake expressions were gone, replaced by a deep scowl that made his brow furrow so much that it was scary. But Rukia did not feel threatened. She was holding the skull-badge that was definitely of extreme importance to the orange-haired alien. This acts as blackmail towards him.

"You cannot keep me in this state for long. It is only a matter of time when your kin will discover my being here and there will be inquiries."

"Yeah, they might wanna dissect you or something. You _are_ an alien." she calmly replied.

Kurosaki Ichigo15xv's eyes widen slightly and Rukia knew that she has the upper hand in this situation.

"K-Kuchiki-sama..."

--------------

Rukia was awaken by the shrill ringing of her chappy alarm clock. She yawned and stretched, revealing a tiny bellybutton as her pajama shirt was pulled upwards.

_What a weird dream... There was an alie-_

An orange head peeked at her from the edge of her bed.

Rukia stared at it for a moment, then sighed groggily as she realized that it was sooo not a dream. _Whatever shall I do with him...?_

_I can't give him back his skull-badge thing, who knows what may happen to me after that?_

"I expect that you rested well, unlike me." came the alien's grumpy voice.

She had left him tied up the whole night, as she didn't trust him to roam free when she was asleep.

He struggled to stand, and fell sideways with a crash.

"Untie me. This is extremely disrespectful. " he said from the floor.

"Well, so is barging into someone's room and harassing them!!" answered Rukia.

The alien squirmed around on the floor in attempt to regain his previous position. He looked really funny and Rukia couldn't help but laugh.

The orange-haired alien glared at her from his position, his cheek pushing against the floor while his butt rose higher than any part of his body.

"S-sorry." She wiped her tears while giggling some more. "Really, I am."

"Then untie me, for the last time." His reply was a little muffled as his jaw was still supporting his weight on the floor.

"I can't do that." said Rukia, trying hard not to smile at his position. "You may try to harass me again, I told you already."

"I had not known that it was against your will, though this goes against our knowledge of Shinigami."

"Shinigami? What's that?"

"...It is a term that we use, referring to your kind." he explained, a bit reluctantly. "It's like the terms 'earthling', or 'human'."

"Doesn't Shinigami means..?"

"Yes, it brings the meaning 'death god', which is suitable in describing the deteriorating morals of the human race, which will, in the end, bring their death by their own sinful deeds."

"Thus the name Shinigami?" Sheesh, she was starting to talk like him.

"Yes."

They stared at each other, and realized that they had just shared a polite conversation.

To ignore the awkward moment. the alien laid down, turned over and pulled himself up to a sitting position with difficulty.

"I need that badge to return."

_Is he trying to get my sympathy to release him?_

As Rukia just stared at him, Kurosaki Ichigo15xv just sighed irritatedly.

"Don't you have a routine?" he asked, fidgeting within the bounds.

"What? Oh... you mean like school? Today's Sunday, I usually stay at home this time of the week." she replied with a bitter tone.

_He seems trustworthy...and what he did yesterday _could_ be only because of his ignorance on humans... I certainly can't keep him like this..._

"..." the alien said nothing but did not take that scowl of his face.

_I always have that skull-badge thing to control his behavior, but I can't turn my back on him... he may kill me or something seeing how worthless he thinks humans are._

"I have the need to undergo defaecation."

"Hmm?" her thoughts were interrupted. _Defaecation?_ Where had she heard that before?

"Being forced to perform the process here will be extremely degrading and even more humiliating than the conditon I am currently in. I demand suitable facilities!!" his voice was getting more irritated.

_??? ...defaecation... a scientific term... oh yeah... he means that he's gonna... OH SHIT!!!!_

"NO! I mean... ok... no...wait!!" _What if it's a trick to make me untie him?_

She looked at his face. It was no different from before the warning but it had already looked constipated from the start with that scowl.

"Human!!!" he yelled urgently.

"I told you, call me Kuchiki-sama!!" she shrieked back in her panic.

"The previous incident which I had done so had no effect whatsoever on the situation!! Untie me NOW, Shinigami!!"

She squeaked and started tugging at the sides of her pajamas frantically.

_What should I do? What should I do?! I don't want to clean up alien poop!!_

"Human!!"

"FINE!!" yelled Rukia. She scrambled to her pillow and lifted it, snatching the skull badge from underneath where she had hidden it from the night before.

"Any funny business, and I will smash this contraption, understood??" Rukia warned, waving the badge in front of the alien.

"Yes, I understand." said the alien, wincing a little at seeing his previous badge being handled so roughly. "Now please...!"

Rukia pulled open her table drawer and took out her chappy penknife which was extremely sharp despite it's cute appearance. She hurried towards Kurosaki Ichigo15xv and cut through the rounds of chappy tape around his ankles.

"Don't move yet," she warned him. _Just in case he would want to attack by kicking me._

He nodded. Beads of sweat was appearing on the side of his face. She moved behind him and cut through the bonds.

_Sigh... there goes all my chappy tape..._

She held the knife against the buttons on the badge, and made sure he saw what she was doing while the alien unsticked himself. She watched as he stood up wobbly and tried to walk.

_Of course... he probrably got cramped in that position all night... but I can't pity him... he could be an enemy_ .

"The toilet's over there... er... you know, the place where you...um... undergo defaecation." she pointed to her own private bathroom.

He limped over there with great difficulty.

"The crap- I mean faeces goes in here." she said hurriedly, gesturing towards the right place. _I don't want him to crap in the bathtub. _"Then you pull that lever."

"I understand." he growled, wobbling over to the pink toilet seat and made to unzip his suit.

_Wait a sec..._

"Aren't you gonna close the door??!"

He stared at her haughtily. "We have evolved beyond the level of feeling shame of our own bodies. We wear material only for protection."

_For someone who can't keep his crap in, he can still talk crap the other way out._

Rukia pulled the door shut, a little annoyed at the carrot top. She looked around her small room to find room for the alien to sleep._ I can't trust him to leave me be if I give him back the only thing that's keeping him in line._

Her grip on the skull-badge tightened.

Rukia has only one family member, her brother. But besides him, there was Isane who comes to clean three times each week.

_Let's see... I can't make him sleep on the floor, it's too obvious with the blankets and stuff if anyone comes in... should I make him sleep in the bathtub? I could lock the toilet door each night... but the bathtub would be wet after my night shower... and I wouldn't want a sick alien on my hands.. if aliens could get sick from dampness..._

_How about the closet?_

Yeah!! It was quite a big one, and she could squeeze the clothes she had there in the other closet. She had two, her brother Byakuya bought her the second one for her birthday, it was specially made with lots of chappy pictures on it.

The alien would be a little cramped, considering his size, but it won't be too bad. Best of all, she could lock the closet door with him inside when she needed to sleep. That way, she could be sure that she won't get murdered in her sleep.

There were two spare pillows on the upper shelf along with a spare blanket. He would have to make do with that, she decided as she began her work.

----------

"Enlighten me, what is this you are planning?"

"You will have to sleep here." Rukia explained, holding the blade against the badge nervously.

"And when shall you hand back what is supposedly mine, my badge? Also, I would greatly appreciate it if you do not handle my possessions in such a brutal way." he added grumpily.

"I know what you are thinking! You are trying to catch me off guard and then you will attack me and take back this thing, right??" cried Rukia shrilly.

"... You are behaving in such a way that would fit the term 'paranoid'."

_Yeah right... I bet you are just saying that to make me feel that I am being ridiculous..!!_

"I shall rest here to regain the sleep I lost during the night." said the alien, climbing into the closet and adjusting the pillows. "Meanwhile, you should think about when you would like to give me back my badge, and the apology you owe me."

_What?!! What a smug moron!! He's the one that owes _me_ an apology!!_

"What?!! You are such a smug moron!! You're the one that owe _me _an apology!!" yelled Rukia.

The alien shook his head in disbelief, and his feelers swayed along with the motion.

"Shinigami are _so_ ignorant and stubborn when it comes to their mistakes, and that is why they never learn." he said mournfully from inside the closet.

The way things are going, she will be the one killing him instead of the other way around, thought Rukia angrily as she slammed the closet door shut.

--------------

**It was fun making Rukia so paranoid. **

**To those who thinks Ichigo is way too OC: Be patient, good things come to those who wait.**

**If you review now I would give you some air!!**

**Imported air!!**


	3. Bossy Beautiful Big Brother Byakuya

Byakuya sipped his perfectly blended morning coffee delicately.

It was a lovely morning, but not as beautiful as the man who sat there, every hair in place. He bore no sign of grogginess though he had woke up at such an early hour.

Two small blue birds appeared at the windowsill, attracted by his charm. Byakuya graced them with a glance, causing one to collapse, overwhelmed by his beauty.

Kuchiki Byakuya, the boss of the the bosses around the world managing _his _business, was the perfect Man. He was successful, powerful _and _beautiful. Women swooned at the sight of him. Every Valentine's Day, his office needed to be cleared as it will be jammed full with Valentine gifts, letters, flowers, chocolates and other symbols of affection. Still, he is sent love letters at all times, no matter how cold he treats the senders. Byakuya had got the 'Bachelor of the Year' title so many times that only those who determinedly kept count are able to remember.

He gazed out the window. _Such a beautiful morning... everything is like as it should,_ he thought, stirring his coffee._ Except for that unconscious bird on the windowsill._

Byakuya hated imperfection. Which means he also hates it when things are out of place.

_Where is Rukia? _

She is usually awake before he is, and they will eat breakfast together in silence. _As it should be._

Byakuya decided to spare her exactly five minutes before making inquiries.

**-Exactly three hundred seconds later-**

Byakuya stood up gracefully from the table and walked silently towards Rukia's room. He passed by many expensive antiques, sculptures and paintings on the way.

He knocked on the violet door that had Chappy stickers plastered all over it.

"Rukia." called Byakuya in his deep manly voice.

There was no answer, yet Byakuya knew she was awake.

"Rukia. Answer me." he knocked again.

---------------

"I am coming, Nii-sama!!!" cried Rukia, raising her voice.

Her brother seemed not to have heard her and rapped on the door louder than before.

"Answer me, Rukia. I know you are awake."

Rukia felt confused and took in a deep breath, preparing to holler back.

"He can't hear you." came the alien's voice from behind her.

Rukia jumped and raised the penknife in her hand. "Stay away!!"

Kurosaki Ichigo15xv sighed. "I meant you no harm. I had soundproofed your room, so that they who are outside are not able to hear you, but you are able to receive the sound frequencies from outside the boundaries."

"I thought you said it was only until morning?" said Rukia quickly, hoping her brother won't be annoyed at her not answering him. The rapping sound on the door, however, were becoming sharper and more impatient.

"And it would have been, if only you had not taken away my badge. I would have turned it off in the morning like I said, but I suppose you are able to do so yourself. Press the white button nearest to the left. You _do_ know where is the 'left' I speak of?"

"IDIOT!!! Of course I do!!" yelled Rukia angrily. The alien gave an unbelieving grunt but she ignored it. She cannot afford to make her brother wait too long. She turned the badge to the side where all the buttons are.

_Wait a second... how would I know the button's function is like what he says? Maybe pressing that button will send a homing signal to his alien friends or something like that..._

"How can I know it's the real thing?" Rukia asked suspiciously.

The rapping had paused for a while. Byakuya probably thought that she was in the bathroom.

"You doubt my word, Shinigami?" said the alien, haughtily. His chin was tilted up as he stared down at her, making her fight the urge to punch his stupid scowling face.

Rukia felt that she couldn't make a decision, as she couldn't trust the alien and could not let Byakuya wait any longer. Right after she thought this, there was a single sharp rap that made her door shake.

"Rukia. Don't make me wait any longer."

Sometimes she felt that Byakuya had a sixth sense that let him penetrate her every thought.

"Stay in the closet!" she hissed as she urged the alien in with the chappy penknife. "Don't make a sound unless you want scientists cutting you to pieces."

Quickly shutting him in, she then hurried to the door and opened it for Byakuya.

"Forgive me Nii-sama I didn't mean to let you wait," Rukia gushed nervously.

"But your reason for doing so...?" asked Byakuya coldly.

"Um...well..."

Rukia did not dare to meet his icy gaze.

"I know you heard me at the door, Rukia." said Byakuya, his expression unchanging. Rukia gulped.

His eyes scanned the room briefly.

"Why is your closet not filled with your clothes?" he asked, expressionless.

"Huh?" Rukia spunned around. _how did Nii-sama know that with the door clos-_

Her jaw dropped.

The closet door was open, and the alien was no where to be seen.

Her hand flew to her pocket, where she had put the alien's badge. It was still there, and she felt slightly relieved. However, it did not help the situation that the alien was missing.

_No way he can just disappear! Or maybe he can turn himself invisible??_

"Well?" said Byakuya's voice, breaking her thoughts.

"Er... I wanted to try and put all my stuff into that super cute closet you bought for me on my birthday, Nii-sama!! I just finished and wanted it to be a surprise!!?!!" she squeaked. Byakuya's eyes narrowed. _He's so not buying it..._

Byakuya stepped into the petite girl's room.

_No!! If the alien is invisible, he will be striking any moment... Nii-sama, it's not safe!!_

Byakuya bent down in front of the closet he bought. Rukia gulped and quickly placed herself right behind him and bent herself slightly over him so that if the alien would land a blow, Rukia could take the hit, protecting Byakuya and giving him enough time to run. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her teeth and waiting for the moment for the blow to land.

"Rukia, what in the world are you doing?"

She opened her eyes just enough to see Byakuya watching her suspiciously. _Oh great... I look like I'm glomping him or something weird..._

"Just observing what you are doing, Nii-sama!!" Rukia said, trying to look innocent while sweating in anticipation.

Byakuya stared at her but dismissed her action, turning back to the closet. He opened the drawer and saw that it was, indeed, stuffed with Rukia's clothes and belongings.

He straightened and looked at his sister. "Do not forget breakfast, Rukia."

Having said that, he gracefully swept out of the chappy-themed room. Rukia closed the door behind him, sighing in relief for he did not get hurt.

"Hey..alien!! Ichigo!!" she called, holding up the penknife in front of her.

Hearing shuffling sounds, she backed into a corner and faced the room. "Ichigo!"

"And what business do you have with me, may I ask?" said the alien's voice.

Rukia gasped. The alien Ichigo had appeared at the closet, a smug look on his face.

"Why- What did you do?" she asked sharply. He brandished his wrist, and for the first time she noticed something like a watch on it.

"What is that?"

"We do not rely solely on the badge you hold, though it is by far the most important." he answered, gazing at his watch fondly. "I had used this, simply put, to make me invisible. This particular function has aided me greatly in activities involving stealth."

_Oh, like peeping on alien women bathing? _

"In fact, I had used this function just now as you were conversing with the other human." he bragged.

Rukia's eyes narrowed, not unlike her brother's. "Give it to me." she ordered_. I don't want him stabbing me in the back while I can't see him... he probrably showed himself just now just because I guarded myself..._

"No." Ichigo's scowl deepened.

_Now he's just pouting like a big baby._

"Hand it over, or I'll break this badge." she threatened.

"I don't care! You might break this if I gave it to you and I won't let it happen." he sulked.

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "I thought the badge's way more important?"

Ichigo stayed silent.

"Well?" she demanded.

"..." Ichigo turned his head away and glared at nothing in particular.

"This... my mother gave it to me before she died."

Awkward silence filled the room as Rukia stared at him, guilt slowly seeping in.

"Oh..." _After all... I know how it is like to lose a loved one..._

_What if he's lying?_

_No... _Rukia decided, looking into his eyes. His face was still fierce and scowling, but the eyes never lie.

_I wonder how she died?_

And from the look in his eyes, in her heart she knew the answer, but she ignored it.

_I shouldn't pry... it is his business..._

"...I'll go now." said Rukia, breaking the silence. She walked to the door, and turned back. "...Do you... want any food?"

Ichigo shook his head in response and climbed into the closet, shutting the door.

_How unusually quiet of him... but it is expected._

She left, not even bothering to lock the room, as she knew that he will stay in that closet for some time.


	4. Love Mondays

**A/N: In this chapter Rukia's best friend will be introduced, along with other school friends. Byakuya will continue to leave sparkles as a trail.**

**Ichigo will come up less, but who cares? lol, Rukia's way cooler anyway**

**I write for your enjoyment. And definitely mine. (Evil grin)**

Rukia awoke to the rude ringing of her alarm clock. She felt tired and lifeless but grinned as she realized what day it was.

It's Monday!!

Monday, the day when the weekend ended and she can see her friends again. Monday, the day when she can leave the house and her cold brother behind. MONDAY!!

Rukia jumped up energetically and hurriedly changed into her school uniform. Her eyes narrowed as she realized that she almost forgot the alien. Rukia took the badge from under her pillow and staplered the red sash attached to it to inside her pocket for safety. She then unlocked the alien's closet, in which she had mercilessly locked the alien last night.

I wonder if he's starving, he didn't eat anything at all yesterday.

Hearing the closet creaked as he turned, she snatched up her schoolbag and went out, locking the door behind her.

_It's Monday and I'll be free, I'll make snowmans or go ice-skating, even that grumpy alien can't ruin my day._

Rukia loved the winter season, and she also loved Mondays more than other days of the week.

She was in such a happy mood that she didn't even notice that she had already reached the dining room. She tensed as she thought she saw her brother there, but relaxed as she realized that he was still resting and it was just a shadow casted on the chair. Rukia dumped her bad on the chair and hummed the song "Houki Boshi" as she made breakfast. Sighing, she made an extra serving of eggs and pancakes and took them to her room. She placed the platter holding the food on her table.

He'll know it's for him.

She locked her room again and made for the dining room for her breakfast. She sat down and happily ate her breakfast.

Then she heard her brother's voice. "Rukia."

Immediately, Rukia stood up straight and politely said, "Good morning, Nii-sama."

She didn't sit down until Byakuya had gracefully sat down in the chair opposite to her's.

Then they ate breakfast in silence. And in his intimidating presence, she carefully chewed her food with as much grace as she could muster, and as quietly as she could.

_Breakfast time is always too long._

_  
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Rukia ran towards the park. A smile appeared on her lips as she saw the figure standing under oldest tree.

"You are late, baka." he said grumpily.

"Good morning, Toushiro."

Her best friend Hitsugaya Toushiro grunted and swung his bag over his shoulder. She took it as a reply.

Rukia smiled and together they made their way towards Sereitei High, their school.

Hitsugaya had always insisted that everyone called him by his surname. The reason for this was because he wanted respect. He knew that he wouldn't get it with his height, as he was a child prodigy and had skipped a few years with his brilliance. And thus the grumpy tone and the constant scowl on his face.

"He frowns like the alien Ichigo", Rukia realized. Though it looks less annoying on her short friend.

Rukia had always wondered why she was the only person who he permitted to call him by his first name. He would let no one else besides her call him that, including his childhood friend Hinamori Momo, who had died in an accident recently. But unknown to Rukia, the reason he let her do so was because that she was the only one who could say it with respect.

They shared a bond that is deeper than words, and knew what the other is thinking even though no words were voiced.

"It snowed early this morning." said Hitsugaya. Rukia smiled at his sentence. Although his grumpy tone had not changed a bit, she knew that he was feeling peaceful inside, not unlike the serenity she is feeling, for they both felt a connection to winter.

She felt happy for him, as he had been more tensed than ever since Hinamori died. Rukia knew that he felt responsible for her death, but she had never pestered him to talk about it, deciding to wait till the day when he will be ready.

They walked through the freezing weather, their footsteps leaving fresh trails in the soft layer of white snow.

"The snow is so beautiful, Toushiro." sighed Rukia.

Hitsugaya smirked behind his red scarf. It was one of the few rare moments when his friend would show her true feelings.

" I like it better as ice, which is more ...powerful." replied Hitsugaya, eyeing a frozen puddle. "Speaking of which, watch out for that patch of ice..."

_Boys... always putting power before artistic beauty..._

She stepped over the said area.

"I'm planning on going ice-skating later."

Her companion grunted and she understood that they will meet at the frozen pond at the park, an hour after school.

They hardly speak, but they understood each other feelings.

And that is all that mattered.

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Ichigo ate his molecularly transported breakfast in peace.

_Since now that Shinigami is absent I can enjoy a moment of serenity._

Luckily he had ordered whole set of meals for a longer period than necessary before his trip to the Planet Urahara Souten to gather information. The meals are packaged at the factory and then molecularly transported to the customer at the appropriate time, his coordinates confirmed by the watch on his wrist, wherever he may be in the galaxy.

His friend Kensei was in charge of this job, and the memory of him in a pink apron always brought an unwilling smirk.

Ichigo finished his meal and tapped in the coordinates of his spaceship Zangetsu on his watch, sending the empty package into the ship's garbage disposal.

He had parked Zangetsu slightly above the ozone layer of the Shinigami's planet, and he was worried that the virus Hollow will infect the ship's system if he didn't get back soon.

Oh well... he could always dispose of the virus Hollow with his superior technical skills. Though the Hollow had gave him quite a hard time the last time it took over Zangetsu.

Ichigo tried to rest some more, but couldn't sleep as he had already had a good night's rest, though he would never admit it. He couldn't sleep stretched out as he was too long for the closet, so he had to bend his legs and sleep on his back, or sleep sitting up.

Now what shall my next activity be?

He opened the closet door and was almost blinded by all the bright rabbit images from all corners of the room. This rabbit must be a god to this Shinigami individual. _I wonder what this particular religion is called?_

The plate of breakfast, now cold, caught his eye. He scoffed at the idea of him eating food from Earth.

His gaze drifted to the book shelf where Rukia kept her manga and books.

_Ah... records of knowledge..._

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Meanwhile, Rukia and Hitsugaya had arrived at Sereitei High with fifteen minutes to spare.

They reached the main entrance but Hitsugaya sat down on the steps after brushing off some snow.

Rukia joined him. Though it was freezing cold, they seemed to enjoy it while others hurried indoors. Together they watched the snow-covered scenery in silence. In silence, but not in peace. They heard catcalls and giggling from the passersby, teasing them with the thought that they were courting. Hitsugaya sent every snickering jerk a icy cold glare, and they scurried away at once, terrified of the little white haired genius.

Cowards...

Hitsugaya had not been able to fit in when he first arrived at Sereitei High with his glaring white hair and his superior intellect, not that he cared. He had Hinamori, but it was degrading whenever she treated him like a cute child. It seems that only Rukia understood, seeing that how she had to go through the same situation for a longer period than him. People being awkward or jealous of her, because she was adopted by Kuchiki Byakuya the billionaire. It was a well known fact that she was placed into the best class only because of Byakuya's status and not of her school results. People often whispered to each other, bad-mouthing her out of jealousy. For some absurd reason it made them feel better about themselves when they give her a bad time, much like now.

Rukia always tried to ignore them. After all, she had Hitsugaya. The said boy genius sent another glare at an offender, who whimpered and disappeared through the doors.

Hitsugaya sighed and stood up. "Come on, I'm tired of people staring." Rukia nodded and they went to their class, the best one which contained all the top students.

On their way they met Jidanbo, the big-sized janitor. Rukia greeted him politely, and he bowed to her, all the while saying that she is too kind talking to commoners like him, as she is part of the great Kuchiki name. Rukia bit her lip but didn't respond.

As there was still five minutes remaining before school started, their classmates were scattered around chatting. Most of the conversations were about geeky stuff, many of the top students, if not all, were nerds.

The number one top student and nerd was Ishida Uryuu, and there he was, sewing, in his seat. Nerds do nerdy stuff like read, memorise facts, and reread, but Ishida Uryuu _sews. _He actually _sews_ for enjoyment.

Hitsugaya wasn't the number one top student. Rukia knew that he could easily be, but he seemed to have made a decision to remain in high school with her, and not shoot off to university and goodness knows where.

Rukia distinctively heard Hitsugaya snort in disgust when a few geeks started waving at him, greeting him as if they were old buddies. They only acted like this because they were filled with hope that Hitsugaya will give them studying tips, as they did not believe that the boy was a natural genius.

The weird girl with large breasts talking animately half to her friend and half to herself was Inoue Orihime. She gets such an extreme amount of love letters that her tomboy friend Tatsuki had to pin up a warning at the noticeboard, threatening to break the fan boys into pieces if they pester Inoue again. Rukia hardly talked to them, along with every other student in the class.

Her only other friend besides Hitsugaya was Hanatarou, who was extremely poor in his studies. As a result, he was placed in an inferior class along with bullies. Hanatarou's good friend Ganju would fend off the bullies with his own set of bullies, which he calls the 'Boar Gang" for some reason.

Ganju hated Rukia, and so, she hardly gets to see Hanatarou.

Before Hitsugaya, Rukia smiled sadly at this thought, she had Renji, her best friend since childhood. However, ever since Byakuya adopted her, Renji had became distant and barely had time for her as he started taking night classes on business. He was several years older than her, so she don't get to see him anymore as he had already graduated from Sereitei High a few years ago. He had immediately started working after graduation as a lowly clerk for Byakuya's company. The most recent news of him that she had was directly from Byakuya himself, about Renji being promoted to Managing Director, which happened about a year ago. Apparently he had knowledge in business. Rukia had felt happy and sad at the news, and she often wondered why he had cut off their friendship like that.

"Stop spacing out." said Hitsugaya in his bored voice. "Ise is already at the staircase."

And sure enough, only a few moments passed before Ise Nanao-sensei came in. Sometimes Hitsugaya scared her.

Though there were mean and weird students around looking down on her and being jealous, and the knowledge that Byakuya will be making the next weekend uncomfortable, along with the alien in her room that she had to watch out for, Kuchiki Rukia had long ago decided that she could cherish the better times which she can spend with Hitsugaya, and on things that she love.

Like Monday.

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**Author's very professional notes:**

**SQUEEEEE SHIRO-CHAN!!**

**I am actually a girl despite my pen name Mr.Biscuit so you can stop wondering at how straight am I LOL**

**I realized that the number of my reviews have decreased drastically ever since I announced that there will not be much lemon in this fic. DAMN YOU PERVERTS!!**

**Please tell me if I have bad english or something so that I can improve.**

**Thanks!**


	5. Hyourinmaru and Sode no Shirayuki

**A/N: Hope you guys like this chapter.**

Rukia fished her room key from her pocket, her hand nudging against the Ichigo's badge in there.

The first thing she saw when she opened the door was the untouched platter of breakfast she made for the alien. She grinded her teeth, feeling insulted.

_How dare he refuse to eat when I have been so kind to cook for him..!_

She heard the alien clearly in the showers, as the bathroom door was open.

_That idiot..._

"Even if you don't feel embarrassment for exposing your body, can't you at least respect me enough to close that stupid door??" yelled Rukia. She heard the alien sighing in an irritated manner before closing the door.

She threw her bag angrily across the room then took out her ice-skates and a set of fresh clothes.

_I will have to use Nii-sama's bath, and as for that alien, he can starve to death for all I care._

Rukia slammed and locked the door with unnecessary force then made her way to her brother's room. Even though she knew that her brother was at work and probrably wouldn't be home till dinnertime, Rukia still hestitated before stepping in. It was to this extent that her adoptive brother scared her.

His room was neat and tidy, with a faint scent of lilac, despite the vase of fresh chinese bellflowers by the window. His queen-sized bed, made from silver white windflower light silk, had a smooth surface with no ripples or wrinkles, looking as if no one had laid on it. Maybe Byakuya levitates in his sleep.

Rukia walked quietly across the smooth wooden surface of the floor, careful not to touch anything. She went inside the silver white bathroom, which was just as neat as the bedroom. Everything was in place. Even his toothbrush looked like it was just taken out of it's packaging and never used before.

The only time when Rukia had used her brother's bath was when her bathroom was being renovated to pink and chappy. Byakuya was cold and distant, but at least he tried to make his adopted sister as happy as possible with his unlimited amount of money.

Rukia paused before touching anything. _Nii-sama is sure to realize that I used his bathroom... I am not as neat as him... Then he will ask me why I couldn't use my own bathroom, I certainly can't tell him that an alien was using it..._

She relaxed, remembering that today Isane will be coming to clean, wiping of the evidence of Rukia being in here. Isane was another reason for Rukia to like Mondays. Isane was kind and gentle, making the atmosphere around the Kuchiki household less tense.

_She musn't see the alien...!!_

Rukia showered and dressed hurriedly, just in case Isane came early.

She then went to back to her room. The alien was not in sight, so he was probrably inside the closet, otherwise hanging around invisible for murderous reasons. Rukia rapped on the closet door, and called for his attention, all the while facing the room just in case.

Ichigo opened the door and scowled at her. "What do you want??"

"The cleaning lady, Isane, will come soon. I'll lock you in the closet and leave the door unlock, so don't make a sound or else she'll find you."

"Whatever. And take that plate of unpalatable junk with you."

Rukia growled. How did he know that it was horrible if he hadn't even touched it?? But she had space to feel curious. His choice of words had somehow simplified significantly.

"Why-" The doorbell rang, cutting her off. She panicked and slammed the closet door shut, locking it while squeaking, "Don't make a noise, especially when she comes in this room!!"

"Of course, the room's soundproofed, isn't it?" came Ichigo's muffled voice from inside the closet.

Rukia ran out of the room, snatching the plate of the uneaten breakfast on the way. She hurried to the front door, only to see it open, and Isane stepping in.

"Pardon me, Miss Kuchiki, I thought no one was home so I let myself in." said Isane, bowing politely. Rukia bowed back, trying remove the nervous look on her face.

Isane excused herself and went on to start her chores. Rukia sighed, looking at the plate in her hands. She would have eaten it,... however, if the alien knew she would do so and poisoned it...

She dumped the food down the bin. What a waste... she thought glumly. I wonder why the alien's still fine after not eating for so long. Maybe he gets food by photosynthesis.

Rukia decided to grab a sandwich at the convenience store on the way, as she is almost late.

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Hitsugaya skated around elegantly, doing a few stunts to forget his impatience at waiting for Rukia. A few brightly overdressed girls about ten years old giggled and eyed him flirtatiously, only to be ignored.

They frowned as a raven-haired girl skated up to their target and started chatting with him. They glared at her fiercely, but she didn't seem to notice them. One girl clutched another's arm in suspense. The cute boy skated off with the raven-haired girl, making them groan in disappointment.

"Don't leave crumbs of your last meal on your face, baka." said Hitsugaya, frowning at the bread crumbs on the side of her lips.

Rukia started and wiped off the sandwich crumbs with her sweater sleeve. "Sorry."

They skated together for a while. Both of them had great fun, though it didn't show on their faces.

"Look, Toushiro! Chappy!" Rukia craved the shape of a huge bunny head, and carefully dug out eyes and a smiling mouth. A nearby child started crying after looking at it.

Hitsugaya smirked. He skated expertly, carving a long slithering line along the ice, spraying bits of ice and ended by carving a crescent shape near the long figure.

"I call this figure, Hyourinmaru." said Hitsugaya. Rukia studied it.

"It looks like a snake."

"It's a Chinese dragon, baka."

Rukia went closer. The bits of ice around the thick, deep line does look like scales for the 'dragon'.

"What about this shape that looks like a crescent moon?" she asked.

"That's what it is." replied Hitsugaya shortly.

Rukia nodded. "Not bad."

"Don't judge Hyourinmaru by looks only." Hitsugaya beckoned her nearer. "You see this shape? If anyone skates any less than 45 degrees across it, their ice skate blade will get caught, causing them to turn direction slightly then fall. Most people will land on the ice on their rear ends, in a way that is quite harmless, but extremely humiliating, not to mention cold. Thus, I called that pose, Sitting upon the Frosted Heavens, Hyourinmaru."

Rukia was amazed. She had thought that Hitsugaya was just giving a fancy name, like some normal child, but she should have known that Hitsugaya was Hitsugaya. They backed away from Hyourinmaru, and watched as a haughty young skater skate nearer, not seeing Hyourinmaru as his nose was in the air.

The man's ice skate blade got caught in the trap and he fell, squealing and having the breath knocked out of him as he landed right on his butt.

Hitsugaya's face was indifferent as he stared at the man that got caught by Hyourinmaru. Rukia, however, stared at the man with shock that Hitsugaya had predicted the fall exactly as it was.

_He is indeed a genius._

The humiliated man yelled curses at them for staring and they skated away.

Rukia wasn't one to praise people, and she stayed in awed silence as they skated along. Hitsugaya caught the silent praise, and smirked behind his scarf.

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"Let's make snowmans, Toushiro." said Rukia, her eyes sparkling.

"No thanks." yawned Hitsugaya. "It's getting late."

Yeah right... Rukia smirked. The real reason was that he didn't want people to think him as a kid. Not that she blamed him.

"Then may I come to your house tomorrow?" asked Rukia, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Hitsugaya's house had a larger compound and high walls.

"It'll be a drag, but fine, come." sighed Hitsugaya. He can't fool her. Rukia knew that they will be spending tomorrow making snowmans in his garden, the high walls hiding him and shielding his grumpy-old-man reputation.

"Alright, see ya, Toushiro." said Rukia, smiling. Hitsugaya lifted up his hand in lazy response and they went their separate ways.

Rukia was in a good mood all the way home. When she opened the front gate and walked up the path, she realized that she found even the bare sakura trees pretty.

In fact, she was in such a good mood that she didn't notice the green-haired figure that watched her from the opposite house.

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"Mesmerizing."

Ichigo smiled to himself and closed the book, sighing with content.

The satisfied look on his face disappeared when he heard the sound of the petite girl's footsteps growing nearer. The usual scowl took it's place.

He didn't move as the she unlocked the closet door and peeped inside. He stared back at her.

She opened the door fully, as if accepting a challenge.

"Hey, is that my book?" asked Rukia accusingly, pointing at the book Ichigo is holding.

"Yes, in fact it is. Certainly you didn't expect me stay in my closet doing nothing?" Ichigo glared at her.

Rukia glared back at him, but she saw sense in what he said.

"You didn't touch my manga, did you?"

"You should have thought of that before you imprisoned me." he replied haughtily.

"Wha-? You expect me to let a pervert like you go without punishment?!"

Ichigo sighed and opened his book. "I thought I had already explained it to you, I acted by the facts my kind had gathered. I had not expected you to be the odd one."

"What do you mean, the odd one?!"

"Though, I should have deduced from your size, but then I had thought all Shinigami to be midgets by seeing only you. By seeing your brother and the images in the 'manga', I have learned."

"YOU CALLING ME A MIDGET??"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, an action he saw a manga character do, a sign of exasperation or disbelief.

Rukia decided to ignore him and took out her sketchbook and her favourite pen. She sat at the table and started drawing vigorously. Drawing and doodling was a favourite pastime of hers. It helped past the time, and she had plenty of those since Byakuya liked to keep her safely at home.

"What are you doing, Shinigami?"

Rukia drawed a bunny with orange hair and feelers, then a big black sword through it's torso...blood splashed...

Ichigo walked over to the petite girl and observed her drawings.

" Ugh... this is the most horrible thing I have ever seen."

Rukia assemed that he was talking about the picture and not her drawing skills. She smirked sadistically and twirled her pen around her fingers.

"Hm? That is a beautiful pen." said Ichigo, gazing at her snowy white pen.

Rukia's eyes soften as she looked at it. "Yeah... my... friend Kaien-dono made it for my birthday. Everybody who have seen it say that it is the most beautiful pen they have ever seen."

Ichigo looked at it, studying it's features. It was completely white, which made it look like it was made out of snow. It had an air of elegance to it, and a long white silk ribbon was attached to the end of the long and slim pen.

"I call it Sode no Shirayuki." said Rukia softly. Ichigo detected pride in her voice. He almost smiled, but stopped himself in time.

"Look." Rukia said, smiling at her pen. She doodled on the paper with Sode no Shirayuki. "When I draw, it looks like it's dancing."

So it did.

Ichigo marveled at the skills of this 'Kaien-dono'. He had made Sode no Shirayuki so beautifully, and it suited Rukia well. He gazed at Sode no Shirayuki's 'dance', and at the one wielding it, a peaceful expression on her face.

_She's just as beautiful as Sode no Shirayuki._

Whoa. Did he just feel an attraction towards the Shinigami?

Ichigo mentally kicked himself. They are creatures with an inferior intellect, he reminded himself over and over. He decided to insult her to forget the last thought.

"So, midget. Why do you draw so badly, anyway?"

"What?!" Rukia jumped at the double insult. "Who's a midget? And I don't draw badly!!"

Ichigo smirked. It worked.

"Why do you talk like that now? Like, with more simple words, you know?" Rukia's curiousity got to the better of her.

"I read the records of knowledge of your people and learned your ways. I suppose it will help in your comprehending my words, as my way of speaking had somehow slowed your understanding."

"Huh?"

Ichigo sighed. "It seemed that you are not the only Shinigami who is dull of perception. In fact, this is only human I deem otherwise." He lifted up the book he is holding.

Rukia read the author's name.

_William Shakespeare_

She didn't even know she had such a book.

"He has amazing skills in the art of literature." said Ichigo, staring at the name intently. "It seems that this is only one of the great books that this noble man had written.", he continued hazily. Rukia stared, feeling surprised as respect was detected in his attitude towards Shakespeare."Could you please search out more of this books that this Shakespeare had written?"

_Wow... alien in love..._

"Ok..."

"...Thanks." said Ichigo, in his dream world. "To sleep, perchance to dream..."

Rukia snorted.

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**A/N: So in this chapter we get to sneak around Byakuya's bedroom and bathroom. We also got to see Hitsugaya playing pranks and Ichigo fan boying over Shakespeare.**

**Ooh, and the crescent moon Hitsugaya carved is referring to the crescent moon thing attached to his shikai.**

**Wikipedia mentioned that Byakuya likes Chinese bellflowers. The windflower silk bed material is the material his scarf's made out of. Wikipedia said so! All hail Wikipedia!!**

**If you press the purple blue button down there that has G...o.. on it, it will rain cookies!! Well... no... it won't. But you still will have my eternal gratitude.**


	6. Uncle Jyuushiro

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, I had to go without the internet for a few days ( OH THE HORROR ). I'm typing this on my Aunt's computer, and the keyboard feels so awkward...**

**This would have to be typed at night as my brother and my cousin will want to spend quality time with the computer during daytime.**

**If you are reading this... I wuv ya.**

Rukia and Hitsugaya stood across one of the many convenience stores in town.

"I told you, it'll be alright, baka." Hitsugaya said grumpily.

They were pausing because Rukia had saw Ganju and Hanatarou inside. The two were wearing the purple and yellow staff uniform and standing behind the counter. Obviously they were working there. So, Rukia wanted to remain outside while Hitsugaya bought their lunch, as Ganju will probably cause a scene hating her.

"You sure you wanna stay outside?" asked Hitsugaya again. Rukia nodded. Her companion sighed and entered the convenience store. The bell on the door to jingle on a high note.

Hitsugaya had suggested that they got lunch from there on the way to his house, as he felt that eating lunch at home is a bother with it's current occupants.

Rukia watched Hanatarou running around serving and helping customers, and arranging items. The petite girl lightly smiled as he helped a toothless old lady with that polite and often pathetic look on his face. Some tough guys tried to walk out without paying for the drinks in their hands, despite poor Hanatarou's protests, so Ganju knocked them out at once.

Rukia didn't mind Ganju hating her, because he protected Hanatarou on many occasions. In fact, she often felt grateful for his caring for her mild-mannered friend.

Suddenly, Rukia felt her schoolbag getting snatched out of her small hands. She was pushed to the ground, and the petite girl gasped in pain as she hit the hard pavement. The thug that took her schoolbag laughed sadistically and ran on...nothing could be done except to watch helplessly. No one was around except for a blind man with his dog. The thug ignored the man and kept on running, thinking that he was no threat. That proved to be a big mistake.

As quick as lightning, the blind man grabbed the thug, then, flipping him over, tossed him towards the ground. The thug yelled in shock, and was knocked silent as his head collided with the ground with a sickening thud.

Rukia's saviour stepped neatly over the unconscious figure and offered his hand to Rukia. "Are you hurt?"

Rukia shook her head, but remembering that he can't see her, she stuttered out her answer instead, still shaken by the incident. "N-no..."

The blind man's dog was nosing her schoolbag, and gave a low whine. The man smiled. "I believe that my dog has found your schoolbag." He bent down and picked it up for her. Rukia took a close look at him as she took her bag from him. He was a black man, and wore his hair in braids. He had a serious air about him, eventhough he didn't look very old.

"Thank you, sir." said Rukia.

"My name is Kaname Tousen, and this is my dog, Komamura." he held out a gloved hand and they shook hands. "Please don't pet Komamura. You will distract him from his job."

Rukia looked at the light brown dog on the leash. Komamura was a huge dog, and it sat there with dignity, it's piercing yellow eyes focused on Rukia. She recalled her teacher mentioning guide dogs, special dogs trained to assist the blind.

"I hate violence and fighting," said Tousen, his unseeing eyes hidden behind the shades he wore. "But justice must be prevailed, even though I myself have to perform it by my own hands."

Rukia smiled. He seemed like a nice man.

"What's going on?!" she heard Hitsugaya's voice demand.

Hitsugaya had came out, hot dogs and coffee held in his hands. His sharp eyes quickly took in the scene, from the unconscious thug to the dirty snow smeared on Rukia's clothes.

"Toushiro... Tousen-san helped me get my bag back. This man on the ground, he tried to snatch my bag away." Rukia explained. Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed.

"It is true. Most ruffians are willing to nab anything nowadays." said Tousen, arranging his orange scarf.

"How do you even know what he did if you're blind?" asked Hitsugaya, not taking his eyes off Tousen. Rukia gasped. "Toushiro!!"

"I have highly sensitive hearing." Tousen answered back. "Now if you will excuse me, Komamura and I will be on our way."

"Thank you again, Tousen-san." said Rukia, bowing eventhough he couldn't see her. Tousen nodded and walked away.

After he disappeared around the corner, Rukia turned to her friend in indignation. "You insulted him, Toushiro!! Why were you so rude?!"

Hitsugaya grunted and handed her a hot dog and a cup of coffee. "Shut up. You owe me 6.89."

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The gates of the mansion was polished shining and clean, bearing no signs of having gone through winter. The pathway to the house was shoveled neatly, and tall, lean snowmans with white mop heads for hair stood at both sides of the path. The fish pond at the right of the garden was frozen solid, it's inhabitants, the two prize fish that looks exactly alike, lay asleep below, dead till next spring.

Hitsugaya pressed the electric doorbell, and the gates opened, letting them in.

"Hitsugaya-sama!!" A female voice shrieked. "Let me take your coats, Hitsugaya-sama, Kuchiki-sama!!"

"They're not even in the house yet, idiot!!" A male voice yelled. " Hitsugaya-sama, welcome home! Welcome, Kuchiki-sama!! How do you like the snowmans I made??"

"You made??" yelled Kiyone. "I made more than you did, Sentarou!! And mine looks more like Ukitake-sama than yours!!"

Kiyone was Isane's younger sister, and the cleaning maid of Hitsugaya's house. However, she hardly leaves the mansion and stays around all the time.

Sentarou was the gardener, and he is _supposed_ to be around only in the morning, but he, like Kiyone, never leaves the place.

"No you didn't!! And yours don't look like Ukitake-sama at all, you blind bat!!" Sentarou hollered. He and Kiyone continued to quarrel, forgetting Hitsugaya and Rukia.

The two high school students went in by themselves, and was merrily greeted by Ukitake, Hitsugaya's uncle.

"Kuchiki-san!! It is always a pleasure to see you with Shiro-chan!" cried Ukitake happily. He was a tall, sickly thin man with long white hair. Rukia bowed politely while Hitsugaya ignored his uncle.

"Hello, Ukitake-san" she said, causing the man to frown, hurt.

"Ah... Kuchiki-saan..." said Ukitake, turning his hurt puppy eyes on her. "How many times have I told you to call me _Uncle Jyuushiro_??"

"Ukitake..." warned Hitsugaya in a deep tone, not looking at him.

"And you too, Shiro-chan!" cried Ukitake, waving his arms. "How can you be so rude towards your uncle!! I am a Shiro-chan too, you know!!"

"Your hair only turned white after three days of your illness!!" snapped Hitsugaya, losing his patience." Your hair color isn't natural at all!!" Ukitake's eyes grew even wider and more puppy-like.

"Shiro-chan..." he whined, pouting. "How can you be so mean in front of Kuchiki-san?! Kuchiki-san, when you marry Shiro-chan, remember to teach him manners!"

This comment earned a angry roar form Hitsugaya, while the raven-haired girl blushed at the thought. Still, Ukitake is in a very fragile condition, as his health was not improving due to his sickness.

"Ah, you are so stiff, Shiro-chan." Ukitake laughed, and coughed up blood, splattering some on Rukia's face.

"KOFF KOFF-Oops...sorry, Kuchiki-san, let me -KOFF- get that for you-KOFF-" Coughing violently, the white-haired man pulled out his handkerchief, and coughing some more, he stained the fabric with blood.

"So-KOFF-rry" said Ukitake, coughing again.

"I-it's ok..." Rukia tried to wipe blood off her face, failing horribly and smearing her face even more.

"Ukitake-sama!! You should be resting!!" yelled Sentarou worriedly, barging in from behind them.

"How would you know? You're the gardener!!" shouted Kiyone, "Ukitake-sama!! You should be resting!!"

"Copycat!! That's exactly what I said!!" shouted Sentarou. Rukia saw Ukitake's usual smile disappear at the splitting headache the screaming were causing.

"Let's go." Hitsugaya muttered. Rukia spun around. "What? What about Ukitake-san?"

Hitsugaya just shrugged at the hacking Ukitake. "He'll be fine. He always is."

Rukia wasn't sure, and had an urge to call an ambulance, but as the young genius was almost always right, she put down her bag and left with Hitsugaya, leaving poor Ukitake to the care of the two servants.

"W-wait, -KOFF- Shiro-KOFF.." they heard Ukitake's shaky voice and turned around to see him whipping out a HUGE stockingful of candy from nowhere. "H-her-KOFF-KOFF-here's so-me c-c-ca-ca-KOFF-nn-KOFF-cann-KOFF-can-dy,KOFF"

Hitsugaya didn't move, but he didn't had to. Ukitake was already moving forward with unnatural speed for a sick man and forced the package of candy onto Hitsugaya. "There!! KOFF- And don't forget to share-KOFF-some-KOFF with Kuchiki-san!!"

He went into another coughing fit, and blood splattered the candy.

"Ukitake-sama!! Try some of my Aunt Unohana's special medicine, "Minazuki"!! I asked Isane to get some from her!!" said Kiyone hurriedly, brandishing a bottle filled with thick light green liquid. Sentarou pushed her away. "Your Aunt Unohana IS his doctor, fool!! And she can't be trusted coz' she just wants him to be sick forever so that she can seduce him every time she checks up on him!!"

"Well, you just want to be in Ukitake-sama's good books so that you will get something from his will when he dies!!" Kiyone yelled. "I am the one who lov-I mean respect, Ukitake-sama more!!"

"No, I am the one who respects Ukitake-sama more!!"

"No, I am!!"

While they bickered, Ukitake had already stopped coughing and was beaming at Rukia and Hitsugaya. "Well, don't you want to have lunch first?"

Rukia shook her head politely. "No thanks, Ukitake-san, we have already eaten."

"Call me Uncle Jyuushiro, Kuchiki-san!" said the sickly man brightly. He patted Rukia's head, accidentally wiping blood on her hair. He gasped. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry!" He took out his bloodied handkerchief, and finding it bloodied, put it back again.

"Just leave, Ukitake!" snarled Hitsugaya. He clutched the red stocking of candy in his annoyance. "It's unlucky for us if you keep hanging around!!"

Rukia gasped at his rudeness for the second time that day. "Toushiro!!"

"Thank you, Kuchiki-san! What Shiro-chan said had made me sad, but your kind support cheered me up!" Ukitake said pleasantly. "Also, do you know that some people are soo paranoid of the number thirteen, and treat it as an unlucky number? Well, I've proved their theory wrong! My favourite number is thirteen, and just look at me!!" He coughed violently.

"Whatever. Let's go, Rukia." said Hitsugaya, falling back in his bored tone. Rukia wondered at how he can be so rude to his uncle, who was his only family in this house. If she had Ukitake for her brother instead of Byakuya, Rukia was certain that she would be happier.

_As would Kaien._

The raven-haired girl bowed politely to the coughing Ukitake and went to the backyard with her short friend, the voices fading behind them.

"Ukitake-sama!! Eat this, it will make you better!!"

"Ukitake-sama!! Don't eat that!!"

Rukia wondered how Ukitake could get any better with the unsettlement the two assistants were causing. She gasped as a snowball hit the side of her head with full impact. Hitsugaya smirked at her, already with an armful of snowballs. Soon, the backyard was full of snowball smashing sounds, and solo giggling, as the white-haired midget never gave more than a smirk.

Finally, they were tired out and decided to make snowmans.

"Hey, what's this?" asked Rukia, astonished. In front of her was a deep trench in the snow. Hitsugaya was indifferent when he saw it. "Ignore it. It's just one of those weird things those two like to do." Sure enough, when Rukia backed off a little for a better view, she saw that it was just a part of the big 'GET WELL SOON UKITAKE-SAMA' greeting dug in the snow with happy faces around it, though their snowball fight had ruined it somewhat. Seemed like it was meant to be viewed from the upper floor window on the right, Rukia realized. Which was probrably Ukitake's bedroom window.

They continued to make their respective snowmans, Rukia busy making her Chappy snowman yet curiously peeping at Hitsugaya's work, causing him to growl at her.

All in all, they had a fun time, with the boy genius feeling more at ease doing childish stuff covered by the high walls of the mansion. The bloodied stocking laid forgotten.

They only remembered the time when it started to get dark. Feeling disappointment at how fast the time had flown by, Rukia went back into the living room to get her schoolbag, then leave. To her surprise, Hitsugaya wanted to walk her home.

_Maybe he just doesn't want me attacked by another thug._

When she asked him he told her to shut up. So Rukia let him come without any further questions. They left without any disturbances from anyone, but there were squabbling voices from upstairs.

They walked in silence, as always. The only incident that happened during the short journey was when Hitsugaya wanted to take the long way back to Rukia's home. Rukia understood at once._ The shorter way means that we will be passing by Hinamori's house... where that accident happened._

A memory that terrible was enough to keep anyone away, and Rukia didn't blame her best friend at all. Rumors said that he witnessed it happened.

She looked at her treasured friend, who for some reason, was glaring at every passerby, eyes darting from one person to the other. Despite taking the long way, they reached their destination soon. Hitsugaya walked Rukia to the door, but he was still looking around the streets.

"Thanks, Toushiro." said Rukia, smiling. Hitsugaya grunted. "Whatever, baka."

He turned to leave, but paused and turned to look at her, a warning look on his face.

"And one more thing."

Rukia cocked her eyebrow slightly, wondering what was it that he wanted.

"Don't trust strangers."

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Rukia opened her door, still pondering on Hitsugaya's strange advice, only to find Ichigo sitting on her bed with an expectant look on his face. Her hand immediately flew to her pocket where the skull-badge is.

"What do you want?" she snapped fiercely. The eager look on Ichigo's face didn't falter. "Do you have it?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Huh?"

"Will you give it to me already?" asked Ichigo, a hungry look on his face. His feelers twitched in anticipation.

_Is this the first night all over again?!_

"W-what are you talking about?!" cried Rukia. _Did he read a romance manga this time? _

Ichigo frowned. "Shakespeare!! Have you got the Sheakspeare I wanted?!"

Rukia blinked dumbly. It had slipped in her mind.

"Well??" demanded Ichigo impatiently. Rukia didn't answer. She knew she slipped up but didn't want to feel guilty, especially towards the rude alien.

"I forgot, ok?" said Rukia, blushing. "And get off my bed!!"

The alien's eyes widened in disbelief, and she clearly saw it.

"How could you?! I clearly stated that I favored the author and would like to read more of his works!! You had even agreed!!"

She bit her lip and continued to stare at him obstinately. The furrows around Kurosaki Ichigo15xv's eyebrows deepened. They glared at each other, a contest of the fiercest.

"I'll get some from the library tomorrow, ok??" growled the petite girl. "Sheesh."

Ichigo had the scariest expression on, making him look murderous. " I don't find sitting alone in a room with nothing to do very entertaining." he said hollowly. "I'm not a pet, you know. If you are to keep me here by your own stubbornness, at least provide me with activities to make time go by." With that, he stormed towards his closet and slammed the door shut behind him. Rukia winced at the noise he made, and was silently glad that the room was soundproofed, as the noise was so angry that people miles away could have heard it.

He had scared her with his temper, and confirmed her belief that he was dangerous. Still, she couldn't wipe away that guilty feeling in her guts.

The incidents of their first meeting had not been forgiven, and she still felt disgusted shivers whenever the memory of her kissing him was recalled in the most awkward situations and moments. That kiss had felt business-like, no passion or love in it, to Rukia, it was done solely for the reason of tricking then overpowering the alien, and to the alien, it was business, a rule of his people, and he himself said so.

Rukia still couldn't bring herself to forgive him, as he had invaded her privacy, acted like a ...perverted psycho, and took her first kiss. A part of her felt like letting him go and rid herself of this nuisance, as he had acted without lust and out of desperation. But a bigger part of her wanted to bash him through his skull till his alien brains came squish-squishing out and she'll stomp on them till it turns to brain-juice and then she'll-

Rukia shrugged off the guilt and her schoolbag then prepared to take a shower before making dinner for her brother and herself.

She had not seen the alien eat a thing so far, and it was beginning to bug her. But for the meantime, she decided to let him cool off in his closet, otherwise she might get hurt.

One look at his bad-tempered face and orange hair and anyone can tell that he is dangerous.

Somehow, Rukia had a nagging feeling that she wasn't one of them.

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"Finished!!" Rukia whispered victoriously to herself, slamming her homework back into her bag where it belonged. It probably wasn't done well enough for the standards of the top class, but she'll ask Hitsugaya to look it through for her. She took out Sode no Shirayuki and her sketchbook with a much better mood and started to draw.

The sound of the closet door opening made her body stiffen. The girl looked into the pocket mirror in front of her, which she had positioned to keep the closet in sight. Through the small mirror, she saw an orange-haired figure came out and sat on her bed behind her, making the bed creak under his weight.

He probably got bored doing nothing, seeing that he sat through all those hours when she was making dinner, eating it with her brother and doing her homework.

"What do you want?" asked Rukia tensely. The alien slumped and just scowled at her.

"You expect me to do nothing, Shinigami? You _shall_ entertain me until you present me with my favored books." he replied sourly.

"...You read all my books already?" asked Rukia disbelievingly. Ichigo sneered at her. "Even if you have a slow brain, it doesn't mean everyone does."

It was Rukia's turn to scowl.

Then something caught Ichigo's eye. "What is that?"

"Huh?" She fingered the spot in her hair that he was pointing at. There was a lump of dry _something _there, and she pulled it off her hair quickly. It was dried blood. Must have stuck there when Ukita-Uncle Jyuushiro patted her head and she hadn't clean it off completely during her shower, though most of the blood were washed off in the snowball fight.

"Oh...this is just blood." she flicked it in the direction of the chappy dustbin. Ichigo looked disgusted. "How barbaric. I didn't know that humans were that wild, I had the impression that they were quite civilized in some way."

"Don't make it sound as if I killed someone!" said Rukia huffily. "My friend's uncle has tuberculosis, and the blood just now was blood that he coughed out, poor guy."

Ichigo didn't answer, and Rukia felt that she just had to know, as he looks dangerous and could very well be. "...Have _you _ever killed someone?" the petite girl asked, in a hushed voice.

"I'm not of age, so I'm not allowed to." Ichigo answered, making Rukia gasp. "Those 'adults' keep wanting to keep the action to themselves."

"Your kind...kills for fun..?" Rukia asked uncertainly, making Ichigo let out a bark that could very well be a laugh. "You could say so. Some of them, I guess. We are somewhat in the middle of a war, but it's not a very active kind of war, if you get my drift."

"With who?" said Rukia nervously. _Shinigami?_

The alien looked at her as if calculating whether he can pass on the information.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt you to know... but you're suspicious..." Ichigo pondered. "...suspicious that we are enemies of Shinigami...but in reality we mean you no harm. Our sole enemy are the Arrancar, another _alien kind_, for your understanding."

"Then your kind are...?"

"We are Vaizards, evolved Shinigami." stated Ichigo proudly. "We are better, faster, smarter than Shinigami, and we are also more-" "Ok,ok, I get it." sighed Rukia. However, she could not deny the fact that this Vaizard vs Arrancar stuff interested her.

"So why are the Vaizards and the Arrancar fighting?" asked the curious girl. "And what are the differences between the two?"

"The Arrancar is an evil race." Ichigo said. Rukia could tell that he was enjoying himself. "Their intent is to take over all the potential planets, also, the small but resourceful station of the Vaizards, and the Shinigami's planet, but not to worry, we will protect you as long as it goes against the Arrancar's will."

Rukia felt worried at the news. Is the Arrancar really targeting their planet? Or is this alien just making stories to trick her into eventually letting him go? Whatever the reasons, she decided there was no harm in listening, as long as she doesn't take him seriously.

"Vaizards are few in number, but we are enough to withstand the growing power of the Arrancar, who are many, but weak in most."

"Huh." Rukia cocked her head to a side. "Another thing, does Vaizards go without food for days? You hadn't eaten at all so far, or do you do photosynthesis?"

Ichigo stared at her for a moment before breaking into that smirk she hated so much. "I have my sources of food, and I do not need to absorb anything from your planet except oxygen. In fact, Vaizards can go much longer without oxygen compared to the Shinigami and we can also withstand toxic substances better than Shinigami, and we do have a much better immune system, as well as better reflexes-"

"Not to mention a much bigger ego as well." Rukia muttered.

She observed the Vaizard in the light of her room, and noticed how well toned his muscles are, and how well the suit accent his masculinity. Suddenly, she caught sight of the smug grin on his face and realized -too late- that he had saw her checking him out.

There was nothing to do except to blush furiously and turn back to her sketchbook.

"So anyway, why are you so obsessed with this monster-like creature?" he asked with the cockiest tone. Her answer was definitely unexpected and startled him, no matter how good he claimed his reflexes to be.

"IT'S CHAPPY, YOU FREAK, CHAAPPY!!" yelled Rukia furiously. "IT'S A RABBIT!!"

Ichigo blinked, jaw hanging.

_Shinigami are so barbaric..._

Rukia screamed the explanation of the world of Chappy, while Ichigo listened with a sour look on his face, earning him a smack on the head.

And thus, they shared their worlds.

**A/N: Yo. Though it's kinda HitsuRuki at the front, it really is a Ichiruki fic!! However, if you'd like hints at pairings with Rukia, just leave a suggestion which characterxrukia you'd like, like**_** HitsuRuki, RenRuki**_**... It'll be just for kicks and not affect the ichirukiness, like that joke Ukitake said about Hitsugaya and Rukia hitting it off. Hinting Pairings for Ichigo comes later.**

**So anyway...**

Hello kind citizen... Will you be so kind to spare a review for a poor starved girl?

**Easter egg: During his coughing fits, Ukitake says "can-can" lol. Did you spot it?**


	7. strawberry strawberry

**A/N: Hey... I've been gone for a while... you know where I went? Huh, do ya? Do ya?**

**...ahem... I was in China with no access to the internet so that will explain my absence. I missed you guys... gah!! The taxi driver that drove us to the airport was so scary!! He fell asleep while driving and the taxi almost went off the road. I almost left you guys for good.**

**There was this MEGA CUTE waiter in China omg eye contact**

**Ok... I guess you guys won't like me rambling too long...**

The bell rang, causing the students to stir restlessly. Hisagi-sensei caught their drift and dismissed them, letting them go for recess.

The Chemistry teacher was considered a prodigy when he was still studying, but to everyone's surprise, he chose to become a teacher, and became one he did at an early age. Hisagi was a fantastic teacher, and many female students found themselves concentrating hard in Chemistry class, but on Hisagi that is, and not the subject.

His face has the numbers '69' tattooed on it, and he wore a choker around his neck. Though his outer image wouldn't be considered appropriate in many schools, the headmaster of Sereitei High let him be as he didn't care how outlandish Hisagi looked as long as he was a good teacher. Despite his punk-like appearance, Hisagi Shuuhei was a very mature person, and knows how to handle his class without losing his temper.

However, many of them gets on his nerve sometimes, like that Hitsugaya Toushiro, never paying attention yet getting full marks for every pop quiz Hisagi tries to surprise them with. That boy always gets full marks for pop quizzes, and a lower mark when Hisagi gave them a period of time to study for a particular exam. It's as if that brat is playing him.

Hisagi bore no outer sign of being annoyed by that memory as he walked to the staffroom, but he barely noticed the greetings passing students, mostly girls, called out to him. Still, he did manage to notice that patch of white in the midst of the sea of normal-haired students moving to the lunchroom.

The patch of white stopped moving and became clearer into view as the punkish looking man kept moving forward. When he could see Hitsugaya clearly, he also saw Kuchiki Rukia, Hitsugaya's good friend, sister of the famous Kuchiki Byakuya, and friend of his old junior, Abarai Renji.

Hisagi often hang out with Renji and Kira. Kira is the young owner of the local liquor shop that specializes in gin. He recalled the memory of Renji, Kira and their younger friend Hinamori Momo when they were still in school. Poor Momo... when Hisagi heard of the accident he was deeply affected. But that Hitsugaya Toushiro, supposedly good friend of Momo, didn't look sad at all, and that annoyed Hisagi to a great extent.

The two friends, the white-haired brat and that rich Kuchiki girl, had stopped outside the school library, and Hisagi heard their conversation as he passed. Hitsugaya was asking questions suspiciously, and the girl was mumbling incoherently. Her answer was apparently incoherent to Hitsugaya as well, as he commanded her to speak up.

Hisagi felt curious at once. It was not a common practice of his to try and purposely catch students in the act of crime, but to lay one on the haughty delinquent Hitsugaya would be the idea of heaven to the frustrated Hisagi. After all, how many times has the boy embarrassed him in front of an giggling audience, as he will answer advanced problems with a bored tone, and adding the fact that Hisagi had made a mistake on the third section, the fifth step of problem twenty-six.

_How? How can he know all that when he spend all his time looking bored and barely glancing at the blackboard?!_

"It's none of your business, Toushiro." Kuchiki was saying reluctantly. "And I don't see the big deal of me wanting to do something that lots of kids do nowadays."

"Normal kids don't have pastimes like that, baka!! And don't you try to start, it's not healthy!!"

_She's taking drugs?_Hisagi thought, eyes widening. _No wonder she is so thin, and small. That also explains her bulging eyes. _

_So the Kuchiki girl finally snapped from all the pressure from keeping up with the standards of the top class, which she is obviously unsuited for, and the pressure from the expectations of Kuchiki Byakuya._

Spy mode kicking in, Hisagi stepped behind the large potted plant next to the two friends. However, the corridor was buzzing so loudly with conversation that he could barely hear the girl's next sentence.

"It's okay if you're not stuck, alright?" she said. He heard the white-haired kid snort, then the rich Kuchiki girl answer defiantly. "It's true!! It's a once-in-a-while thing to me. You should try it."

Silence.

Hisagi looked on coolly. Half of him wanted the short boy to accept, get even shorter and have Hisagi catch him in the act then have him shipped off to a rehabilitation centre, but the other half, the good half, silently urged him to refuse.

The memory of Hitsugaya's smirking face flashed before him once again and the good half of Hisagi vanished. Completely.

Through the half-dead leaves, Hisagi watched as the boy continued pondering. His companion stood there, anxiety showing on her face.

"...Fine." sighed Hitsugaya. Rukia smiled and turned to open the door.

"Wait." her genius friend stopped her suddenly. He turned to the potted plant on the right. "What are you doing listening in on our conversation?"

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For a brief moment, Rukia wondered if her friend had gone crazy, and got a shock when a voice came from the plant.

"I suggest you stop loitering about in front of the library door: There are people who might need to pass." said the voice. A man stepped out from behind the plant and Rukia identified him as their Chemistry teacher, Hisagi-sensei.

"Why were you eavesdropping?" demanded Hitsugaya. Rukia stared at him. No matter how many times and how many people her friend talked rudely to, no matter how important they were, Rukia could never get used to it. Even now, she was muttering anxiously persuading Hitsugaya to be polite.

"Why would I eavesdrop on your conversation? Unless, of course..." he added slyly, "you have something to hide?"

"Don't talk crap!" snapped Hitsugaya. Hisagi's eyes narrow.

"C'mon... Toushiro..." muttered Rukia, tugging at his sleeve. "Excuse us, Hisagi-sensei. And sorry." Their teacher didn't say anything but continued to stare silently at Hitsugaya. The boy glared back, producing an icy aura that would make anyone run a thousand miles in the opposite direction. Impressively enough, Hisagi-sensei didn't move a muscle, though the reason behind that stillness might be because he was petrified to the spot, thought Rukia.

Just then, a girl with pigtails opened the library door from the inside. She dropped her books when she bumped into Rukia. "Whoops!! Sorry!! I wasn't looking where I was going." The girl laughed and snorted.

"Um...it's alright." said Rukia, unnerved by the snort. She bent down to help pick up the girl's books. The appearance of the dorky girl had broke the murderous aura around them. Hisagi gave a small smirk, and turned away. "Don't worry, please continue your conversation or whatever you were doing, Hitsugaya-san, Kuchiki-san."

With that, he walked away.

_I'll have to get more proof, then catch them in the act,_Hisagi decided. _And when I do... let's see how's he gonna smirk then._

Getting Hitsugaya caught at doing drugs may be a good thing for him, but that Kuchiki girl... he sighed.

Hisagi felt sorry for Renji. After all, he does frequently ask about her.

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Books. Books. Books. Books. Books. Books. Books. Books. Books.

And more books.

_How am I going to find some Shakespeare in these thousands of books?_

Maybe Shakespeare _was_famous, but even after going through about hundreds of authors on various books, Rukia still couldn't find even one Shakespeare work.

The petite girl flicked a lock of her hair from her face and sighed exasperatedly. Recess was almost over and she probably would have found the wanted books by now if a certain white-haired friend hadn't deserted her. He had disappeared almost at once when they entered the musty library, and Rukia hadn't seen him since.

The look he gave her when she told him that she wanted to go to the library. Since Hitsugaya would always know when she was lying, Rukia was nervous that he would find out about the alien eventually. He was against coming here, and didn't want her to get addicted to reading and becoming one of them. By 'them' he meant those unhealthy-looking people with thick glasses, who glanced up from time to time looking at her with disapproval. Those nerds had came here to study, which is all they do. Some of them are from her class, but they didn't acknowledge her as they think her unworthy.

Rukia wanted to ask the librarian for help, but one look at the sour-faced wrinkled woman with the hooked nose was enough to tell anyone that help couldn't be found there.

Rukia bit her lip as she forced herself to continue searching through all the moth-eaten books. She didn't want to see the look on Ichigo's face if she came back once again without Shakespeare. Giving up on the section and moving on to the next, she imagined what he was doing back home.

_Really... there isn't much to do._

There was no radio or television in her room, and he claimed that he read all her books. Whenever Rukia was stuck at home on weekends, she would either draw or study, but that obviously didn't apply to the alien. For the first time, she fully grasped the feeling of boredom the orange-haired alien had everytime she left him alone.

Guilt renewed her energy and she searched through volumes faster than before.

Rukia hadn't forgive the Vaizard yet, and his badge still weigh in her pocket. She continued to stapler it's red sash to her pocket every morning, so that the alien could not steal it, and it would not fall out.

Ichigo would shake his head whenever she does this, and kept saying that she'll ruin her skirt in the end. The raven-haired girl will keep thinking that it was just said to make her lower her guard.

Though they did share a conversation yesterday, with a hit on the head from Rukia when he insulted Chappy, it didn't last that long as Rukia needed to turn in to bed shortly after and therefore, locked Ichigo in his closet. Technically it was her closet, but... whatever.

Finally, she stumbled upon the English classics, which was almost hidden by all the Japanese books. She quickly pulled out some moldy volumes by William Shakespeare and went to the check-out counter.

Hitsugaya still hadn't appeared after she borrowed them.

_Maybe he's stuck with a book somewhere, turning into a nerd. _Rukia smirked and went looking for him. Of course, the boy was a genius so he was probably naturally attracted to stuff like this.

The said genius was found at the magazines section, which consist of the oldest magazines possible. He was staring at a vomit-green magazine with little green men on the cover. The title said, "Alien Alert" in big squirmy letters.

"Pathetic, don't you think?" Hitsugaya said without turning around.

Rukia didn't say anything, and just clutched the Shakespeare books a little tighter, a tiny smile on her face.

The bell rang, signalling the end of recess and for the students to return back to their classrooms.

As usual, nothing eventful happened in class, unless you can count the time when Kyouraku-sensei stuck his head in the classroom and called Ise Nanao-sensei "Nanao-chan!!" in a lecherous manner. But that happens everyday.

Every time after school, Rukia and her snowy-haired friend will split up and go their separate ways. However, this time, Hitsugaya walked back with her.

"What are you doing, Toushiro?" asked Rukia. Her friend glared at her. "What does it look like I'm doing, idiot? I am walking you home."

_He never did walk me home, except yesterday. So why is he starting to now?_

"You don't have to." said Rukia. "I manage fine by myself. You know that."

"Just shut up. I'm doing you a favour." he said shortly and impatiently.

Was it her imagination, or is her best friend being more tense than usual? His tone had always been grumpy, but it had always held this fondness for her, too. But now he is constantly snapping at everybody, Hisagi-sensei, Ukitake, classmates, even her.

His footsteps were full of frustration. His eyes flashed at everybody who passed. Those who caught the look scurried on their way, unnerved by the short boy.

It wasn't Momo's death that caused this, Rukia realized. He did become more paranoid after it, which was months ago, but recently he had become worse. It wasn't as though it was the monthly anniversary of her death or anything, though Rukia doubted that he would care for such a thing. But bottling up feelings is unhealthy, and she knew for a fact that Hitsugaya had not twitched even one muscle at his dear friend's funeral.

While everyone was crying and mourning, he was the only one that could stand straight and look at her coffin without shedding a tear.

She remembered feeling sorry for Hitsugaya, for she knew that he was affected the most. She was the only one there that could see that he was mourning in his own way. Though, for some reason, Rukia had a feeling that he wasn't mourning exactly for her death.

She had wanted to wait until he was ready to tell her, but it seems like it can't be left till then since Hitsugaya was starting to be unmanageable.

So she stopped in her tracks, and her companion stopped too, though he did not look at her. There was a accusing silence as Hitsugaya waited for her to walk on.

"Say, Toushiro." said Rukia, feeling uneasy. "About Hinamori..."

"What about her?!" snapped Hitsugaya, turning around so fast Rukia thought he might have broken some speed record.

"Well..." she muttered. This was the first time they had brought up the subject ever since Hinamori's death. And it wasn't easy at all. "N-not to mean anything... but, how...what...h-how did the accident happen?" she finished her sentence quickly, and waited for the death blow.

He glared at her, his face angry, but to her surprise, Hitsugaya didn't say anything. It looked like he was debating with himself whether to tell her, and Rukia waited nervously.

Many moments passed before he opened his mouth, and when he finally did, he shut it and quickly looked at the street behind them.

"Hello, Hisagi-sensei." he said forcefully. Rukia's eyes widened and felt surprise as their teacher stepped out from a turning corner.

"Hello, Hitsugaya-kun." said Hisagi with the same forced tone. "I didn't see you there."

"Of course you didn't. I expect you weren't following us, either?" asked Hitsugaya, flatly.

Rukia blinked. Hisagi had been following them?

"Why would I follow two of my students without any reason? I'm not a stalker!" said Hisagi, putting his hand to his chest in mock surprise, though his face was unreadable.

"Well, goodbye, Hisagi-sensei." Hitsugaya said with a tone that plainly said, _damn you to hell._

They went on their way, and Rukia saw Hisagi muttering under his voice, turning away.

She didn't think that she could survive asking about Hinamori for a second time, so Rukia just let the rest of their journey be filled with silence.

His uncle Ukitake could have told her if she asked, but Rukia guessed that Hitsugaya would rather her ask him himself regarding this affair.

Not that she knew Momo all that well, but if it made Hitsugaya this unhappy, the least she could do is help him talk about it.

0000000000000000000000000

"...I think I'll get some of those chocolate bars filled with strawberry sauce." Rukia muttered as they passed the convenience store. It was a different one from where Hanatarou and Ganju worked so they went in to buy the candy.

"Don't you want any, Toushiro?"

"Nah, Ukitake will bombard me with a tonne when I get home anyway." said the white-haired boy, a little tiredly.

Rukia stuffed the rest into her bag for the rest of the day and unwrapped one. She bit into it, savouring the sour yet sweet strawberry filling oozing onto her tongue. "Mmmm...strawberry." Strawberry was her absolute favourite.

"Artificial flavouring." yawned Hitsugaya. The petite girl frowned at him.

They reached Rukia's neighbourhood. It was an average sort of neighbourhood, and unlike the sort where rich people like Byakuya would stay. But he did choose an average house in an average neighborhood, and nobody would think that they were worth robbing.

He's smart in that way, Rukia thought with pride. The outside of their house looked ordinary, and they didn't flash their wealth about, so nobody in the neighbourhood knew that there were people this rich living there.

_There's only two of us, anyway._

Three, actually, if she counted the alien. It troubled her at times to think about him, and what is she going to do with him, but in the end she'll force it to the back of her mind.

Rukia took another bite out of her candy bar.

As they approached her house, loud music from the opposite house blared rudely at them. Those were the new neighbours. Rukia recalled Byakuya mentioning them moving in about two months ago, but Rukia had not really given the new neighbours any thought till now.

Laundry that was barely washed hung at the balcony rails, and dead wilted plants planted by the previous owner stared sorrowfully at them from among the weeds that were growing all over the place. Some single shoes were scattered around the porch, and pieces of trash were seen among dead leaves.

She could hear some angry yelling from inside that house. She grimaced, thinking what nice neighbours they were.

The music was so loud that Rukia could practically feel every note piercing through her eardrums. It sounded like heavy metal, or some sort of rock music. Rukia wasn't good at differentiating music types as she hardly listened to any sort of music. Whatever kind of music it was, it sounded violent and had some exotic feel to it. Maybe Spanish.

Hitsugaya left after seeing her to the door, not looking back. The young boy puzzled her sometimes. Rukia had never asked about his true age as it was a VERY sensitive issue, so it was an awkward time during his birthdays as his age is unknown.

Ichigo was on her bed, and looked at her through his furrowed brows. Rukia could tell that he was expecting her to forget the Shakespeare this time, too.

"Why are you on my bed again?" demanded Rukia. "Are you some sort of pervert?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Of course not, it's just the most comfortable place to sit."

"Well, don't. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Everything makes you uncomfortable." Ichigo said bluntly. "You're so paranoid."

Instead of taking offense like she would usually do, Rukia was reminded of Hitsugaya. She chuckled. "You should see my friend."

She pulled out the thick Shakespeare volumes and threw them to him. He caught them deftly without even blinking.

_He wasn't lying about the reflexes. _She surveyed his face, which lit up at the sight of the books. His eyes were practically glimmering with joy.

"Thank you."

"Huh?"

"Stop saying "huh?" every time I say something to you, Shinigami." he said crossly. "You heard what I said." He turned back to the books.

Still, Rukia was caught off her guard. He _thanked_ her. The supposedly violent, psycho pervert who barged into her room actually thanked her humbly.

She didn't want to admit it, but the alien wasn't as bad as she thought. Her first meeting with him was definitely horrible, and he kept a dull face with a monotonous voice, which made him look fake and robotic. But it seems that that was only a mask, as his true and grumpy self was revealed soon after. Even then, he looked violent, as his bright orange hair, punkish manner and angry tone suggest. For him to read with such passion, Rukia warmly reflected, made him look real with no pretenses.

"You are welcome."

"What?"

"You heard what I said." Rukia replied teasingly.

She pulled out another candy bar and pulled open the wrapper, planning to watch him read with that interest on his face that intrigued her so much. It was somewhat nice to see him so absorbed in something.

But it was too late. The alien looked up from his book, staring at the chocolate which had caught his attention.

"What is that?" he asked curiously.

"It's chocolate. Want one? I bought a few." Rukia handed one out and he took it.

He unwrapped it without any trouble and bit into the candy. Instantly, his eyes lit up. It was as if he bit into Shakespeare himself.

"This is... " His enthusiasm died, as if he felt guilty enjoying food from Earth. "...not bad."

He finished the rest with relish, however.

"The strawberry filling wasn't that great. The chocolate was better." said Ichigo, tossing the wrapper into the trash can in one swift movement.

"Still, you ate it, didn't you?"

"I'm a easy-going kind of guy. I don't mind." said Ichigo. It was Rukia's turn to roll her eyes. _He says that yet he ignored the food I left him that day._

Noticing that the alien is still watching her, she asked, "I thought you wanted to read?"

"Yeah, I do, but I can do that when you're not around and when I have nothing to do."

Rukia blushed slightly. That was almost sweet...

"So entertain me, Shinigami." Ichigo ordered, sitting on her Chappy pillows. "And I don't want any singing."

For a moment, Rukia just sat there with her mouth open. Ichigo cocked an eyebrow. "Well?"

_Why that little-!!_

"LIKE I'LL ENTERTAIN YOU!!" yelled Rukia. "And get your butt off my pillows!!" She rushed at him and barbarically pulled him off. "Ok, ok!!" said Ichigo hastily. He went to sit in Rukia's chair. "So how was your day?" he asked. Rukia stuck her tongue out at him. "Why would you care?"

"I'm trying to spark a little conversation here! I'd tell you about mine, but what's there to tell? I woke up, ate, sat there, bathed, and sat there till you came home." said Ichigo accusingly.

Guilt filled Rukia again, and she didn't answer him. They sat at their respective places and glared at each other. Then a thought struck Rukia.

"Why were you named Ichigo?" asked Rukia curiously. "It's kind of weird, actually. It's a girl's name."

The alien drew himself up indignantly. "For Vaizards," he said, offended, "the elegant red fruit, so fine and handsome, gracefully patterned by it's fresh seeds, is a form of artistic beauty from God. It is a noble fruit, and it is an honour to be named after it."

"The strawberry?" gaped Rukia. Ichigo grunted in reply. "Yes. Fresh fruits are hard to come by for us, we mostly survive on preserved food from another planet."

"What planet?"

"The Urahara Shoten." Ichigo replied, losing his pride a little when he said it. It must be an unlucky place for him. It irritated Rukia when Ichigo was being cocky, so she decided that she wanted to hear more about the planet Urahara Shoten. She told him so.

"It is quite a small planet." he said, emphasizing on the word _small. _"To be honest, it's really a dingy run-down and dirty little planet."

"I don't believe you. And by the way, you sound like you were describing a shop, but it was named somewhat like that, so I guess it's ok. " said Rukia. "Tell me more."

Ichigo frowned, disturbed by the fact that he is going to say something good about the planet. "It provides supplies for us, like food and gadgets... in return, we watch out for the Arrancars on their behalf. But they are quite strong too, I'm not sure why they want our help..."

He drifted off a bit, and stared into space.

"Anyway, it's run by the King and Queenie, the royal couple." he said. "I guess the better way is to say King Urahara and Queen Yoruichi." he added after a thought. Rukia hugged a pillow, realized that it was the one Ichigo had sat on, and threw it to him. "How're they like?"

Ichigo swept the pillow away and gazed at the Shinigami in front of him.

_Strange... from what I've heard, Shinigami were ignorant and took knowledge for granted._

"Stop staring, pervert." commanded Rukia. "Answer me."

"Uh, they're... they don't act like royalty at all, actually." admitted Ichigo. "Urahara has this unshaven beggar look. Beggars like the ones in the human world?" he said with the tone that asked her whether she knew what he meant. Rukia rolled her eyes in reply.

"He's rude, perverted, dirty-looking and acts like a clown most of the time. I'm not affected, however." Rukia would roll her eyes again, but her eyeballs were tired by doing it so many times.

"Queen Yoruichi likes to keep in the form of a black cat... it's like me and my invisibility toggle." he held up wrist to show her the watch given by his mother.

"I think she likes the feeling of wearing nothing." he muttered grumpily. "Then she'll surprise everyone when she transform back to her human form, naked. Not that it matters to me." he added again.

"Then how about their kingdom?" asked Rukia. Her homework laid forgotten.

"They have three types of people living, mostly working under them. Novas, Clouds and Ririns. They work as soldiers, manufacturers and so on. The kingdom is run with the aid of their minister, Tessai, and their two Managing Officers, Jinta and Ururu. The two look like children but I don't think they're quite normal kids." Ichigo stared at a chappy face on the ceiling. "You understand so far?"

"Yeah," Rukia nodded, earning her another stare from Ichigo.

_Vaizards and Shinigami are two different species, and Vaizards have definite control over their every thought and emotion. Shinigami are brash, sinful, foolish, and too proud for their own good._

And that was what they taught him about Shinigami.

But why is this Shinigami so different?

She refused to undergo sexual intercourse with him, she told him off, she controlled him like it was no problem at all, it was as if it was in her nature. She welcomed knowledge, and unlike the wild images of humans he had pictured, she had grace. She didn't seem like a Shinigami at all.

_But it was no question that she is one._

"So, do they look like you or are they aliens to the both of us?" Rukia asked, referring to his antennaes and his three fingers and one thumb.

"I have reason to think that they are, or once were, Shinigami, but they have evolved somewhat. For example, Yoruichi doesn't feel shame for exposing her body." he mumbled the last part. "Though some human traits remain, seeing how perverted Urahara is at times.

"They often have information, and some predictions on our enemy for us, but I do not know how they do it."

"Hmm." Rukia mused.

"So how was your day?" Ichigo asked again. He seemed to be uncomfortable letting on too much about his side of the story.

"Fine, I guess." the petite girl said, shrugging. "Everyday's fine."

"How was your fellow Shinigami?"

"Ok, I think."

"How did you create bondage with your fellow Shinigami today?"

"I... don't know? My friend was more paranoid today, that's all that happened, otherwise everything's fine."

"How fascinating." he muttered sarcastically.

Rukia smiled, thinking how right he was. "So... you like Shakespeare and chocolate?"

"They are fine, I suppose." he replied. She chuckled. "Guess you are the romantic type, huh?"

"Pfft." said Ichigo rudely. All 'elegance' of the strawberry obviously doesn't go with his personality, Rukia thought.

"So tell me about Vaizards." she said. Ichigo hestitated briefly. "What do you what to know?"

"I dunno... what about that mating custom you told me about? On that night?" said Rukia, feeling abit uncomfortable yet curious.

"Vaizards rarely seek mates, the only time they undergo sexual intercourse is to confirm their maturity. It is a tradition that made me the youngest Vaizard." his voice was bitter.

"Anyway, we do not have the vulnerable emotion you call 'love'. We seek mates for the maturity, and the function. 'Love' will only weaken us." he said. For some reason, the alien noticed, the girl's eyes strayed to where Sode No Shirayuki laid.

"That's stupid, you know." Rukia said softly.

"What is even more stupid is that your 'love' may not exist, it's just an excuse for your lust. Later on, when on that person the lust is fulfilled, you'll tell them how you don't love them anymore." Ichigo smirked disbelievingly to himself.

Still, as the petite girl stayed silent, the alien had to notice her queer behavior.

"What's wrong now?"

"What about your mother?" she asked, her violet orbs on him. "Didn't you love her?"

Ichigo gazed at her, and she suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"Of course I did. And I killed her." he said, quietly.

Rukia opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. It was pure horror that froze her.

"What did you say?" she whispered hoarsely.

The alien gave a tiny smile that was full of grief. "And I still say love is useless and will only get you into trouble."

Rukia just stared, mouth slightly open with shock.

"You know why?" asked Ichigo, talking more to himself than her. "Do you know why I say so?"

He clenched his teeth. "Because it was her love for me that killed her. That is why I wish she never loved me.

"Love? Hah! Don't make me laugh. A human's definition of love...?" Ichigo muttered angrily to himself as he went to the closet. "You know what? I don't feel like talking anymore. Goodnight, Shinigami."

He closed the closet door, shutting her out. Rukia fingered the Shakespeare volumes that was left on her bed, and frowned as she looked out the window.

_It's still afternoon..._

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**Why is Hitsugaya acting so weird? What's up with Renji? How exactly did Hinamori died? **

**A little less about Rukia and more on Ichigo's past around here. That's the way in the real series, right? We only knew more about her in the SS arc. **

**ok Ichigo does seem kinda OC but I promise you, he'll be more Ichigo-like later on... not now... but laaater.**

**Do you think I'm being repetitive? The info is to make up for the loong time since I've gone. In my opinion I'm being repetitive around the "Anyway, However" parts. Did you notice it?**

A review a chapter keeps the writer typing faster.

**And that means a review from each of ya, not just one review total every chapter :(**


	8. Kon, Pyon!

**The author is talking to you through these alphabets:**

**So SORRY for the late update!! I had to go to this wedding for people I don't know, far far away, and my family thought it would be nice to make it a holiday at the same time. AND the fact that it is getting VERY hard to continue with the amount of support I have been getting... So, what did you get for Christmas? I know it's already passed New Year but I actually got a pouch that had 'STRAWBERRY RABBIT' labeled on it lol. **

**By the way, Pyon is the Chappy Rikongan thing that Rukia used during the Arrancar arc. It finished every sentence with 'Pyon!!' so fans call it that. **

**Join me and let us bask in the beauty of Ichiruki.**

**--**

Ichigo closed his book. His amber eyes was fixed on the title but his mind kept straying to the Shinigami girl. However much he wanted to read, he just couldn't concentrate. Ichigo sighed, frustrated, and propped the Chappy-shaped pillow.

_I've told her too much._

He didn't know why he let slipped his feelings on his mother's death. He never told anyone before, let alone his Vaizard friends, so why a Shinigami that he met just days ago?

Vaizards are supposed to have total control over their thoughts and emotions, he reminded himself over and over. But what was it about that particular girl that made him feel suitable to blurt out his innermost feelings?

It was extremely strange, and Ichigo had just noticed it, but she seemed to be wiser than she looks. Though she acts like her age wherever this...Chappy was involved, the alien couldn't help but feel that her level of wisdom was equal to someone who was much, much older.

Not that he had reason to think so, but that look in her eyes, he didn't know what it was, but that look clearly told him that she had suffered the same pain that he had gone through. He wondered what it was that had put that look there.

The young alien man frowned. _I am a Vaizard_, he told himself firmly. Vaizards don't care about Shinigami.

_But then_, he thought as his frown deepened, _She isn't any normal Shinigami._

_You did think anyone would be scared of an alien in their room._

A Midsummer's Night Dream and Macbeth called out to him, but he didn't pay them any heed. Not that he wasn't eager read them through, but his mind was preoccupied with the human. Ichigo laid on his back and stared at the Chappy sanctuary. Soon Rukia would come home and he will have to answer all her questions about his mother's death. Ichigo closed his eyes at the very thought. _She will probably ask about how it happened_, he predicted, regretting telling her. The orange-haired Vaizard got to his feet and walked aimlessly around the room.

He thought about his fellow Vaizards. It wasn't as though he missed them, as they take him lightly since he was the youngest and by their standards the most immature, but he wondered whether any invasions by the Arrancar had taken place yet.

The alien flipped through the Shinigami's sketch pad, scoffing at the retarded drawings. It wasn't any fun to do it behind her back, he realized glumly, and stopped immediately.

He almost thought of her again but his pride of being a Vaizard stood in the way. Ichigo snatched up his Shakespeare book and continued reading again as an act to distract himself.

_Not that the girl is more interesting than Shakespeare._

Being alone with no one but her for company made him think about her more than he liked.

--

Rukia blinked her eyes slowly.

The small dog blinked it's shining orbs back at her.

It's long upright ears, short fluffy tail and big eyes was flaunted at her. And that was more than enough.

"Chappy." whispered Rukia, as if in a trance. Her brows were furrowed, but she was almost drooling.

"Pyon!!" whined the dog, and cocked it's head.

Eventhough she was in such a dazed state, Rukia managed to see that it was a stray, as the canine did not have any collar, and it's fur was slightly matted.

"I'm gonna take you home, Chappy!!" Rukia happily scooped up the dog, and cuddled it lovingly.

Her short companion looked incredulously at her. "No you can't. Your brother won't allow it."

"I could keep it in my room." argued Rukia, gazing fondly at the miniature dog. It's brown eyes oozed cuteness.

"It won't stay silent all the while. Your brother will find out sooner or later." Hitsugaya said, staring at the animal with distaste. Rukia hid her smile. It was the only time she appreciated the alien, and him soundproofing the room from the inside.

"I'll find a way." said Rukia, grinning like she never did before and stroking the light brown fur. The small-sized canine stretched out a pink tongue and licked her. "Now don't you do that." she instructed. "It's not Chappy-like."

Hitsugaya stared. Sometimes his friend's obsession with Chappy annoyed him, but since it was just about harmless, he decided to say nothing and let her torture the dog.

"If I dye your fur white, you'll be so much like Chappy that it'll be as if Chappy came to life!!"

The dog licked her again.

"Stop that!!" Rukia said sternly. "Act only like Chappy!"

"Pyon?" it whined again.

"Let's just get you home and you can teach it all you like." said Hitsugaya, with his usual air of impatience.

Rukia placed the dog down, and bade it to follow. The dog did, it's eyes on Rukia the whole way home.

"This reminds me." said Hitsugaya, looking at the dog. "Did you see that blind man that was with his dog again?"

"Tousen-san? The man who saved my bag from being stolen?" asked Rukia, thinking of the dark-skinned man with braids. "No... why?"

"Just thought I ask." Hitsugaya answered.

"By the way, Hisagi-sensei was staring at us alot today." mumbled Rukia. "Did you notice?"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean I care." replied the boy boredly. "He's just an idiot. Ignore him."

--

"Achoo!!" Hisagi sneezed.

"Oh dear, Hisagi-kun." said Izuru Kira worriedly. "Bless you."

"Thanks." the Chemistry teacher sniffed. Kira handed him a pink tissue. "As you were saying just now?"

"Oh yeah, I overheard a couple of kids talking about wanting to do drugs. I suspect one of them already is taking them." Hisagi said, worry showing on his youthful face. "I haven't caught them red-handed yet, but there is a problem."

"And what's that?" asked Kira. "You can tell me. I won't gossip. Cross my heart and hope to-"

"Okay, okay." sighed Hisagi. "I think Kuchiki Rukia's doing drugs. You know, Renji's friend?"

Kira gasped and put both hands to his mouth. "No way!!"

"I don't know how to break the news to Renji." muttered Hisagi. Kira patted him on the shoulder. "There, there. I'm sure it'll be ok."

Hisagi grunted and looked around Kira's liquor shop. "You just cleaned this place, didn't you?"

"Yup." Kira declared proudly. "I polished every bottle last night, especially the gin. It took me until morning."

--

"...I don't think Hisagi-sensei's an idiot." said Rukia, smiling. She was in too much of a good mood. "But he does look like a cheap thug."

"More like a porn star." remarked Hitsugaya. "Or a strip dancer."

"He looks scary, though. Like a murderer. Maybe a terrorist." said Rukia thoughtfully. "Do you think he does drugs?"

--

"Achoo!! ACHOO!!ACHOO! ACHOO!! Achoo!! Achoo!! ACHOO!! Achoo!!"

Hisagi gasped for breath after his period of violent sneezing. Kira gasped too, but at the spit Hisagi sprayed on his once-shining bottles of gin.

"Hisagi-kun!!" cried Kira, his trembling hand reaching out to his precious gins.

"Sorry." Hisagi wheezed. "I- ah- ACHOO!! Achoo!! Achoo!! Achoo!!ACHOO!! ACHOO!! ACHOO!!"

--

"-and imagine your shock when you see him hanging out at a gay bar, drunk and happy." continued Hitsugaya.

Rukia shuddered. The fluffy dog behind her wagged it's tail.

They reached Rukia's home before they knew it. The petite girl watched her friend leave, glad that he had seemed less tense today. Maybe it was the jokes about their punk-like teacher.

She then faced the door, sighing at the thought of the alien. He seemed so hurt yesterday. And what he had said...

_...Love is useless and can only get you into trouble... Do you know why I say so? It's because it was her love for me that killed her._

_That is why I wish that she never loved me._

From what he said, Rukia figured that to save him, his mother gave her life. Still, she can't be sure and would only know when Ichigo tells her himself.

So many things needed to hear from people's own mouths...

"Come on." she gently lifted up the adopted dog and carried it into the house. The floor sparkled at her, proving that Isane had been here and cleaned every corner of the house.

For a moment, Rukia felt intense worry as she forgot to lock the alien in the closet. What if he escaped? He would still need the skull badge in her pocket. The raven-haired girl hurried to her room and peered inside it.

Ichigo looked up at her from her bed.

Relief overtook Rukia, then...

"Get off my bed!!" she yelled, blushing. "How many times must I tell you? You are such a pervert!!"

"It's not like that!!" said Ichigo, grimacing slightly. Then he stared. And stared.

"What is that creature?"

"This is a dog I picked up on the way home!!" Rukia replied enthusiastically, lifting the dog. "Notice it's small size and fluffy fur? This kind of look on a dog is the most popular among Shinigami women."

Ichigo was sure she just made that up in her own twisted Chappy-infected mind.

"By the way, it looks like Chappy, doesn't it?" Rukia said happily and stroked its fur.

_Figures. _Ichigo rolled his eyes and observe the animal.

It looked like a doll or a plushie as it was so fakely cute. The darker brown fur around it's neck was thicker and stuck out, like a mane. The creature stared at Ichigo with a look that made him want to stomp on it.

"It looks like a lion, can't you see, you idiot?" said Ichigo harshly, turning back to his book.

"No it does not!!" said Rukia, frowning. "It looks like Chappy!!"

"See this dark brown mane?" Ichigo said boredly, gesturing towards the thick fur. "Lion."

"Pyon!!" the dog whimpered.

"Look what you did, you hurt it's feelings when it thinks it's Chappy!" said Rukia accusingly. She patted the dog and whispered comforting things to it. In reply, the dog placed it's paws on her chest. "Oi!!" Ichigo said angrily and pointed at it. "Look at what it's doing!!"

"Don't be silly, it's just a dog." replied Rukia, looking at him as though he was crazy. The dog gave him a crooked grin that may as well be a smirk.

"Look at that! Look at that look on it's face!" yelled the alien, glaring at the stray. It whined and widened it's big eyes as if to say, "Who, me?"

"Don't act all innocent!" snapped Ichigo. The animal put it's head on the same area, causing Ichigo to splutter in indignation. "It's a pervert!! Can't you see? Just look at it!!"

"It's a DOG, Ichigo." Rukia said in a deadpan manner. He started. Did she just call him by his name?

The dog was looking at him evilly.

"It's molesting you!!" Ichigo accused, pointing at the brown dog with a shaking hand. "It's a pervert, I tell you!! I know that Shinigami are stupid but I didn't know that you were like them!! Just take my advice already!"

"No thanks." she put the dog down. "I thought you Vaizards were so cool and all that?" the petite girl asked, smirking. "What happened to the 'Vaizards are able to control their emotions'?"

"Shut up, Shinigami." Ichigo said in his haughty tone. "I was looking out for you, but apparently you don't want my help. Shinigami are so ignorant." He huffily continued to read his book.

Rukia scowled in irritation. She was actually starting to like Ichigo when he didn't put on any airs.

"It's not 'Shinigami', for the hundredth time." the raven-haired girl said, in a frustrated tone. "My name is Kuchiki Rukia."

The alien opened his mouth, but closed it again. For a second he actually considered calling her by her name, as it was only fair for she had started to called him 'Ichigo'. But his Vaizard pride got in the way again and he turned a page, pretending not to care. "Why should a Vaizard call a mere Shinigami by name? It's not like you deserve it."

"You know what you are?!" snapped Rukia. "You are a racist!!"

"Racist?" Ichigo repeated in a flat tone. "Do you call a human who hate monkeys racist too?"

The girl in front of him glowered.

They spent a few seconds in silence, broken only by the sound of Ichigo turning pages without even reading the content. It was long before he looked up, but the haughty look in his eyes was replaced by something else, and it made him look awkward.

"Hey." he muttered, his head facing the closet but his eyes on her. Rukia lost all her anger immediately at his change in attitude. "What is it?" she asked.

"You aren't gonna ask me anything about my mom?"

Rukia looked at him. She had thought about it, but to her, the answer had been obvious.

"If I asked you, will you answer?"

Surprise was shown on Ichigo's face.

"It's your problem." continued Rukia. "It's a deep, deep problem, I know. I have no way of asking about that. I have no elegant way of stepping into your heart without tracking in filth."

Rukia looked into his eyes. "So I'll wait." she said quietly. "Someday, when you are ready to tell me, tell me then.

"Until then, I will wait." Rukia finished, giving him a genuine smile.

Ichigo had to smile back.

A sign of understanding in the gloom of rain had always been a sign of hope.

They both noticed that she had said it as though he will be remaining here for a long time. But somehow, it just felt right.

Their moment was interrupted by the dog whining loudly for attention. The petite girl patted it. "By the way, I haven't named it yet." She gazed at the canine fondly. "I was thinking of calling it Chapp-"

"Oh no you don't." Ichigo said, suddenly irritated. "Everything's Chappy to you."

"Well, what would you name it?" asked Rukia sarcastically, feeling insulted. In response, he studied the perverted look in the dog's eyes.

"...Kai? Nah, that's too cool." the alien mumbled. "Kon." he announced flatly. "Kon's it's name."

"Kon?" Rukia echoed. The canine whined loudly. "Pyon!!"

"Kon." Ichigo confirmed. "It's a Kon, all right," he added, glaring at the small-sized canine with distaste.

"Pyon!!" it complained. Rukia smirked. "Look's like it's more of a Pyon."

"Call it whatever you like, but it won't fit Kon here." said the orange-haired alien. The raven-haired girl pouted. "It's not going to be named 'Kon', Ichigo."

He just ignored her and turned back to his book once again.

"So, PYON, do you like your new name 'PYON'??" asked Rukia sweetly. Ichigo closed his book (for the hundredth time). "Please stop using that voice, midget, it's so disgusting to see you attempting to be cute." Suddenly his eyes widened. "HEY!!"

"What is it now?" asked Rukia crossly. Ichigo hurled Shakespeare across the room, and it hit the dog with a painful 'THUD'. It yelped shrilly and fled from Rukia's side.

"Pyon!!" Rukia cried in concern and ran to the cowering dog. "Why did you do that, you freak??" she spat angrily at Ichigo.

"It was staring up your skirt, damn it!!" he yelled. "It's perverted so if you are smart you would get rid of it!"

"Are you mad?!" Rukia asked in disbelief. "It's a dog!! An animal!! Anyway, how else do you think it could look up at me? It's only that small!!"

"Yeah, you of all people will probably know what it's like to be short." the alien muttered angrily. "I know what I saw, alright?"

"Just stay away from it!!" instructed Rukia fiercely. Ichigo sent another piercing glare in the small canine's direction and went to recover his book. "Now," Rukia said gently to her Pyon, "let's see how bad the damage is." She had thought it would have been distrustful of humans after what happened, but it came to her arms before she could finish her sentence.

Ichigo scowled at them. "Any normal being could see that it's a perve-"

"Shut up, Ichigo." snarled Rukia, continuing searching for any sign of damage, but everything seems to be fine. The thick fur probably prevented any harm. But it was still a fact that the dog was dirty and it's fur was damp, giving out a wet smell. The raven-haired girl lifted it up and smiled happily. "Looks like someone need a bath."

Eventhough most dogs dislike the mere mention of a bath, this dog, however, practically led the way to the bathroom, it's tail wagging in ecstasy. "I think I need a bath too." Rukia mumbled to herself, grimacing at the school odour still lingering around her. Ichigo started at this. "What? You're not gonna take a bath _with_ it, are you?"

The addressed girl just shrugged. "Maybe."

She went into the bathroom and drew the bath. To her surprise, Ichigo was right behind her, practically breathing down her neck. "Excuse me?" she demanded, hands on her hips. The male alien scowled at her, an uncomfortable look on his face. "Don't take a bath with Kon."

"Because he's a pervert, right?" asked Rukia sarcastically. "Don't tell me what to do or not to do, you hear me?" she warned the alien.

"I'm trying to help you, idiot!!" he growled in frustration. Rukia just narrowed her eyes at him and the light brown furball behind her had it's tongue hanging out, and the sides of it's mouth stretched upwards, looking as though it was grinning gloatingly at him. Ichigo glared at it with a murderous glint in his eyes, trying to kill it on the spot by his stare.

"Tell you what." he said with a sudden change in tone. "I'll bath it for you. Since, you know, Kon will be staying here with me when you go to school, I might as well get used to it, and at the same time, it will be a great way for us to get to know each other." he nodded towards the dog, who stared snarling at him.

"It's Pyon." Rukia corrected him, but let it go. She seem to like the idea, and Ichigo encouraged her to go back to relax in her room. He mentally praised himself for that simple yet effective idea. This way, Kon couldn't take advantage of Rukia's love for Chappies.

"Ok, then. Take care of Pyon." she went after giving some instructions to use hot water and lilac soap, leaving the two in the bathroom, which, unsurprisingly, is bright and chappy-themed.

_If I see anymore Chappy I'm gonna barf, _thought Ichigo.

"Yo." he greeted, leering at the angry-looking dog. "Feeling kinda disappointed?"

It growled at him.

"I'm gonna keep an eye on you, so mind where you look or where you put those paws of yours." said Ichigo in a low but fierce voice. It glared back at him, hackles raised.

The dog was extremely unpleasant towards him, but it let him scrub it's coat, though yelping loudly whenever Ichigo inflicted pain with his vicious scrubbing.

"Hey, what're you doing to Pyon?" they heard Rukia shout from the bed. "Be gentle, you brute!!"

"Stop squealing on me, freak." Ichigo gritted his teeth. The soapy dog grinned maliciously at him. The alien scowled in reply. "She only likes you because she thinks you resemble Chappy, you know."

Sheesh, why was he doing this for the Shinigami anyway? Ichigo thought as he sprayed cold water on the dog, hoping to drown it. He really should have minded his own business and let the girl get ogled by the pervert. Why is he doing such a lowly thing, scrubbing a mere beast with soap like a human, getting his Vaizard suit wet, just to protect that girl?

He cursed under his breath as he scrubbed, washed and groomed the dog with as little care as possible, but doing a good job anyway so that Rukia wouldn't have to clean it again, wasting his efforts and foiling his reasons to do it in the first place.

Stupid shinigami... she better be worth it, he thought violently, drying the dog's fur coat with the hair-dryer.

He is a Vaizard. A dignified race, noble and advanced.

So why is he playing dog-groomer?!

Finally, they were done and he took the dog out of the bathroom, throwing it effortlessly to Rukia. She caught it in surprise as the lilac-scented lump of fluff was flung towards her. The canine happily licked her on lips, making Ichigo grimace.

"You did quite a good job." observed the petite girl, smiling lightly.

For some reason, Ichigo felt himself blushing.

"I couldn't do worse than you." he said harshly to brush off the red tinge on his face. Rukia gasped in indignation and the two started bickering their way into another argument.

Ichigo welcomed the fight, as it helped him ignore the warm feeling he just got when Rukia smiled at him.

--

"Pyooon!!" the dog whined, scraping at the door. "Pyon!! Pyon!! Pyoon!!"

"Shut up, Kon!!" Ichigo yelled, losing his temper. The dog has been going on and on since Rukia left the room to cook and then have dinner with her brother. And that was almost an hour ago. Of course, outside, they couldn't hear anything thanks to the one-way soundproofed door, but the whining was driving Ichigo mad inside the room.

The dog rolled around on the Chappy carpet in boredom, whimpering for Rukia.

"How did I end up with a perverted room mate I don't know." mumbled Ichigo, eating his dinner. It had too much carbohydrate value, as usual, for most Vaizards liked that. In fact, they all did with the exception of Ichigo.

He grumbled incoherently and continued eating the food that was molecularly-transported just ten minutes ago. It was extremely convenient, of course, and most Vaizards who were on trips eat by this way, but Ichigo was starting to miss the chocolate he tried yesterday. He should ask Rukia to buy some more.

The packaged food was finished soon and Ichigo sent it to Zangetsu, his spaceship, by molecular transport by the function on his watch. He laid on his back and wondered how full of empty packages Zangetsu will be when he get back.

The dog was still whining, whimpering, howling and barking it's head off. The Vaizard found himself grinding his teeth in irritation, not proper Vaizard behaviour at all.

"Hmph..." he frowned, and tried to listen to the conversation in the dining room over the noise. It was extremely hard, but he _is _a Vaizard, so bits of the conversation reached his alien ears.

"nii-sama..."

"...dog..."

"...not allowed... Rukia."

That was the brother's deep voice. Ichigo didn't like the look of Byakuya when he first saw him, but didn't care to say anything. He was too proud and pompous for Ichigo's liking, though he himself may act in the same way sometimes.

--

"May I compliment you on the quality of the food tonight, Rukia." Byakuya said without emotion. His sister looked up, shocked.

"T-Thank you, Nii-sama." She was still surprised. Byakuya never gives praise, let alone make conversation.

"My secretary brought her poodle to work yesterday, as her house was being renovated. Needless to say, it distracted her and other workers from their work." said Byakuya with a subtle air. "So I fired her."

Rukia fidgeted with her napkin nervously. She didn't like where this is going.

Byakuya sipped his soup elegantly and observed her through his long eyelashes. "Dogs are unhygienic. Even if it doesn't look like a dog, it doesn't change the fact that it is still a dog, don't you think?"

Rukia gaped at him._ It's as if he knows about Pyon..._

The beautiful man just ignored her surprise and continued dining.

His sister followed his lead and ate timidly. Dinner was finished in silence, dish after dish were emptied.

Just as Rukia thought that she was safe, Byakuya stood up and looked her in the eye.

"I would let you know that dogs are not allowed in this house, Rukia." he said softly, yet with that familiar stern tone.

Rukia gulped.

--

The door burst open and Ichigo saw the Shinigami race in, her eyes wild.

"He knows something." she hissed, her back pressed to the door. Ichigo raised one furrowed brow at her. "Your brother?"

Rukia waved the question away and started pacing around the room in an effort to think. "He knows about the secret I'm keeping from him... "

Ichigo felt his chest tighten. "He knows about me staying here?!" he asked, his voice cracking slightly in anxiety.

"What?!" Rukia stopped in her tracks, and turned to face him, a half-mocking look on her face. "I'm talking about Pyon!! You only like to think of yourself, don't you? Now help me think of a solution for the poor Chappy... I mean doggy."

The alien blushed, humiliated. To add insult to injury, the dog smirked at him victoriously and peeked up Rukia's flowing white dress. Fuming, Ichigo clenched his fists. He could almost hear the plushie-looking dog saying, "Nice... view..."

"I know how the problem can be solved." said Ichigo sourly. "Kill the animal."

"You're so mean, Strawberry." said Rukia, not bothering to look at him. She was already used to his ways. The bright-haired Vaizard raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Was that supposed to be an insult? I told you, to be named after such a fruit is a thing to be proud of."

"Mm." Rukia mused, scratching her chin. Ichigo knew she wasn't listening to him as she was thinking for Kon, and he felt another pang of annoyance.

He wondered why.

--

It was midnight.

Byayuka was asleep.

She knew this because she has been secretly checking on him every hour, and finally heard a steady rhythm of breathing behind his room door.

Rukia removed herself from the smooth wood of the door, where she had pressed her ear as hard as possible against to door to listen in to Byakuya. Her ear felt sore and she knew it was red, too.

But now she can take Pyon out for a walk. The canine has been showing signs of wanting to... how would the alien put it?... perform defaecation, and Rukia couldn't let it do it in her precious rabbity room, for no matter how Chappy-like Pyon is, it's poo is obviously no Chappy object. Anyway, the smell will penetrate the door and reach Byakuya's delicate nostrils. Though the door may be sound-proof, it's definitely not going to help hide the smell.

Besides spying on Byakuya, the last few hours had been spent racking her brains trying to find a solution which will enable her to keep the Chappy-like creature AND keep Byakuya content at the same time. Clearly it was impossible. Impossible for any human. Which is exactly why Rukia had pestered the alien in her room non-stop to come out with an idea. But the scowling Vaizard had refused to help her and kept repeating the same thing: Get rid of Kon.

To Rukia's indignation, he warned that he would get rid of it himself if she didn't, and from that spawned another heated argument. His reason, so he said, was that if Kon was found out in her room, he would, too, and that would be unwanted.

Rukia knew he disliked Pyon, but only thought that he was only being mean as always.

He didn't ask for the skull-badge, which is still in the same place, Rukia's pocket. She had grew to be less cautious, and at sudden thoughts, Rukia would jump and search her pocket anxiously for the gadget. Still, it would always be there.

The petite girl half-suspected that it was a trap to let her let down her guard, and she often repeated her vow to never let him win silently to herself, whether at home or in school, earning her a weird stare from Hitsugaya for her suddenly determined look.

Her good friend never comes to her house as Byakuya doesn't allow it, which explains Rukia's loneliness during weekends. It seems that Ukitake is a long-time business competitor of his, and the sick man's business had been around much longer than Byakuya's. Still, Ukitake is much more laid-back than her brother, and doesn't seem to be a rich tycoon at all judging from his personality. Rukia always felt more comfortable around him.

She sneaked back into her room and went directly to the dog. Ichigo pretended not to notice her and kept his eyes glued to the book, which was upside-down.

The raven-haired girl ignored him too, and put on her coat and took Pyon out, urging it quietly to be silent. It seem to understand at once and kept quiet all the way till they were outside. She was grateful for that as Byakuya is a very light sleeper, the slightest noise woke him up.

Rukia closed the door noiselessly, praying that Byakuya will still be asleep when she came back with Pyon. She didn't know what to do with the Chappy-canine yet, but she was determined to keep it as long as she could.

_Pyon is still mine... even for a little while._

The girl sneaked out of the house compounds, and realized she was facing the opposite house. Their lights was still on and the loud music was raging ever continuously on. Rukia actually thought she saw a silhouetted figure of a man standing at the window, but it was gone so fast that it was as if it was never was there at all.

It gave her an uneasy feeling but she shrugged it off, and hurried to the park.

The short journey was eventless, and she thanked the stars that it was so. The fluffy dog was placed down, and it went about, smelling scents and so on.

Rukia smiled at how Chappy-like it looks like, even more so in the dim lights of the street lamps, as it's light brown colour looks almost like white.

The stars twinkled above her, and the petite girl watched them in serenity for a long while.

So long, that, in fact, she didn't notice that the light active steps of the dog was gradually fading into the distance.

She saw the moon, clear and bright in the sky. Maybe it was because of the same type of moonlight she saw the other night when Ichigo came, as she suddenly thought of the alien again.

Rukia couldn't deny that she felt content around him, a fact that she takes to be another trap laid by the alien for his freedom.

She had known him for only so long yet it she often felt that he was so familiar to her, as though they known each other forever.

And as for the strange warmth she got when he looked into her eyes...

Maybe the reason that she is so comfortable around Ichigo was because of that man.

_Him..._

"It's such a clear night, don't you think, Pyon?" sighed Rukia. Then the silence struck her like a bolt of lightning.

"Pyon?" said Rukia uncertainly. Her eyes searched the park frantically, begging for a sign of her beloved Chappy-creature.

None.

"Pyon?!" she called, her anxiety echoing throughout the park.

"PYON!!" yelled Rukia, and immediately dashed off to a neverending search.

--

"What is she doing?!" Ichigo mumbled under his breath.

He closed the Shakespeare book, which in it his progess had not improve even one page.

"It's already an hour and twenty-seven minutes and she mentioned that she will take less than half an hour!" grumbled Ichigo without even checking the Chappy-clock. Still, though the time he estimated was accurate, that was not to be credited to his Vaizard genes, but his consistency in checking the time every few seconds.

Ichigo was so anxious that he didn't realize he was acting out of Vaizard behaviour. Now, he started pacing around the room, retracing Rukia's steps.

He grumbled and complained to himself about idiot humans who can't tell the time, but the sinking feeling in his guts was increasing with every step, and even his heart felt heavier by the second.

Then it began to rain.

First it started with light drops, and rapidly the rhythm turned uncontrolled, heavy, and fell down like bullets.

"No..." whispered Ichigo. It was wintertime and the temperature outside was dead cold... and Rukia was caught in the rain.

"That idiot!!" he hissed, and paced about even faster than before, crossing the room in three to four strides and feeling helpless like a caged mouse. He waited impatiently for the Shinigami to return.

Five minutes passed with the feeling of eternity, and the alien rashly decided than he couldn't take it anymore.

Ichigo rushed to the window and tried opening it, but it was firmly stuck. He then cursed and went to the door, hoping to force the lock open.

To his greatest surprise the door was not locked. This fact was probably due to Rukia concentrating too much on getting Kon out, and not keeping the alien in.

It was a rare coincidence, or maybe just fate.

Ichigo dashed out of the door and along the corridor, keeping his rushed footsteps silent as not to wake Byakuya. He quickly toggled his watch, making him invisible to anyone who he may meet outside. The young Vaizard was in such a hurried state that he didn't pause to even glance at the beautiful antiques around the house, carefully chosen to reflect their master's graceful personality. Ichigo also didn't flinch at the uncomfortable tinge in his eyes at being adjusted to a different surrounding after living in a pink, bright rabbit-themed room for so long.

He went out of the house and into the rain. Freezing bullets of raindrops brutally assault him dozens at a time, attempting to weigh him down, trying to drown him.

_I hate the rain..._

Wasn't it years since he had witness this type of natural phenomenon? Yet he will never forget it.

He remembered every drop of rain, drenching them, mixing with his tears and her blood. Her lifeless body, it's warmth, never to return, drained by the cold of the rain. When he touched her, she was already cold. The chance to feel her warmth one last time, to pretend that she's still there, was snatched away by the rain.

It's already been years... so much time passed, yet that rain still fall inside of him, when will it stop?

_Geez Shinigami... you better be alright._

He ran through the rain, the camouflage design keeping him from being singled out as a transparent figure, and his suit kept his body dry, though his face and hair were all wet.

Almost all the houses look the same, but Ichigo didn't once bother to memorise the way, all he did was running along any way that may lead to Rukia.

If it were days before, he would calmly take the bearings and check the neighbourhood in a civilized way, with something to protect his dignity as a Vaizard, not speeding through rain like a rash idiot. He didn't know it, and didn't care, but Kurosaki Ichigo15xv was starting to lose his proud Vaizard ways.

"Darn it... Shinigami." he hissed as another lane showed nothing. Desperately he would like to yell her name, even say it, just to himself, but no... there is still some Vaizard pride left.

The raindrops falling continuously and his steps, going on and on, was creating a dull, monotonous world that will never fade. This grey picture was starting to take Ichigo in, trapping him in an end that has no end, every lane into another, no results, no changes, only the pounding of the rain, his panting breath and his forever going footsteps.

And then he heard her voice.

"Pyon!!" came the weak, yet determined voice, almost drowned by the rain. "Pyon!! Where are you?"

Ichigo felt relieved, then anger at her idiocy. Quickly he approached the tiny figure in the rain, and reaching out, he shook her shoulder.

"Why are you still out here?" asked Ichigo, though he already knew the answer. The petite girl jumped, and turned to face the unseen alien. "Wha- I-Ichigo?" she whispered, clutching his invisible hand.

Her eyes were so hollow, so miserable that he couldn't believe it. Never had he seen her like this, always had she been elegant, composed and poised, the Rukia he had known. The dog couldn't have caused this, this... one little animal couldn't have put this look on her face. Eventhough if Chappy itself gone missing, Ichigo somehow knew that Rukia wouldn't be as affected as this.

So what was it that put that look into her eyes?

"Hey..." he replied, more gently this time, shaking her again slightly, as she seem to be without spirit. Ichigo was disturbed to feel her shivering body.

"..Ichigo..?" she mumbled, shaking with the cold. "You shouldn't be out here... how..?"

"You shouldn't be out here yourself. Look at you!! You're already numb, idiot!! Let's go back now."

"No... I've got to find Pyon." said Rukia, her voice weak from all that shouting. Suddenly she frowned at Ichigo. "Go back to my room now!! I'm not gonna give you the skull badge, if that's what you want. I may look tired right now but I can still fight you!!" She started coughing hollowly.

"I don't care, baka!!" yelled Ichigo. "You can get sick in this weather, so let's get out of the rain already!!" He tried pulling her away, but she struggled and pulled free of his grasp. "No way!! Pyon may be in danger!!"

Ichigo snorted, almost choking on the running rainwater. He seriously doubted that the pervert is in serious danger, and told Rukia so.

"No!!" she cried hoarsely, the rain muffling her voice. "It really could be in trouble!! Just go, Ichigo!!" She sneezed loudly.

"Only if you come with me." Ichigo said angrily, "You are already chilled, you could get seriously ill, Shinigami!!"

"Why do you care?!" snapped Rukia, her eyes darting frantically around the street, searching for a hint of Pyon and not the unseen Ichigo. "You are a Vaizard, aren't you? You said something like this before, Shinigami are inferior, so why should you care, huh?!"

"Because I know how it is like to be in the rain." he said softly.

The rain thundered on, but he knew that Rukia had heard. She stood silently, a lonely figure in the rain.

It was certain that she was at the end of her strength, as she had been running and calling to her limit for an hour and then getting soaked by the rain, in wintertime.

It was crazy of her, and he would give anything just to ignore her protests and just carry her home, but something was hurting Rukia, so Ichigo didn't move from his position.

"Why?" asked Ichigo in a low voice. "Why does it rain for you?"

Rukia just stared at him, her face blank, and her lips slightly separated.

Suddenly the raven-haired girl staggered, gasping at herself and for breath. At once, Ichigo darted forward and supported her petite body. Already she was struggling not to fall unconscious, and her eyes kept sliding out of focus. The drenched girl was shivering even worse than before.

Ichigo held her tightly, trying to keep her warmth from being washed away by the rain... like what happened to his mother.

"C'mon... Shinigami..." he muttered grimly, putting his arms around her and easily lifting her. The girl was only semi-conscious, and she was weakly muttering something through her chattering teeth

"...it.s.. the same ...rain... he...K...Kaie.."

--

_Am I still here, still in the same rain...? Am I still at that time, when you are not yet dead, when I have not killed you? _

_It was my fault... it is my fault... Do I get to see your face, alive once again...?_

_--_

"K- Kaie..."

"Don't worry, I'll get your stupid dog for you." grunted Ichigo, bending over to shield her from the rain. It was dark and he couldn't see her expressions, but immediately after he promised that, he felt her body relax.

Still, her eyes continued to stare blankly at his face and for one terrifying moment Ichigo thought she was dead. Then she lifted a weak hand and gently touched his wet face. She looked into his eyes, and called him.

"Kaien-dono."

Before Ichigo could react, Rukia fainted, a tiny smile on her lips.

--

Ichigo cursed again. He had got an unconsious Rukia safe with him, but apparently he had lost his way and have no clue whatsoever on how to get home.

The rain continued to fall. Ichigo wondered whether it was normal to have such heavy rainfall during winter, but he heard that due to environmental problems caused by their own kind, Earth had been facing lots of strange changes in climates and such. Ichigo had scoffed at their stupidity when he first learned that, but now he didn't feel like laughing at all, with a shaking Rukia in his arms.

He hoped that no one will pass by, as all they will see is a floating girl, for Ichigo is still invisible.

"Pyon!!"

That familiar whine rang through the heavy pitter-patter of the rain.

Anger boiled in him.

Within the gates of a safe, warm home, Kon snuggled against a woman's bosom. The lady, whose sleepy face was showing sympathy and delight at finding such a cute stray dog, was attractive and obviously single. "Poor darling... come on in, you look so cold... let's dry you up and then I can get you some milk."

The dog wagged it's tail.

_Why that little-!!_

Ichigo growled curses under his breath, and unwillingly left. He would love to break every bone in that pervert's body, but in the meantime, he has to get Rukia out of the rain.

In it's darkness and gloom, they were hidden from human eyes, except for those that are near, for example, if anyone passes by on the street, it will cause trouble.

The alien cursed the perverted dog a thousand deaths for dragging Rukia to the condition she is in. Her ragged breathing didn't sound good, and Ichigo fasten his pace, randomly picking a lane and running around the neighbourhood.

Miracles of miracles, he finally arrived outside Rukia's house, and he didn't waste a second on congratulating himself. The Vaizard rushed Rukia in, using the welcome mat to walk awkwardly with, and to have the floor remain dry as they were soaking wet.

Ichigo hurried into Rukia's room and quietly closed the door and locked it. The petite girl was gently placed onto her bed, and dry towels were searched for. He couldn't find any than the two used ones Rukia and him dry themselves after showers, so he grabbed random pieces of clothing from the cupboard and wiped Rukia with them.

When she was reduced to a damp state, Ichigo realized that she was extremely feverish. Unhealthy levels of heat was radiating from her unconscious body, flushing her face.

Ichigo started to panic. He had never treated a sick being before. Vaizards NEVER got sick. The most was getting wounded from Arrancar fights.

_Should I undress her?_

Even as this thought flashed through his mind, Ichigo found himself blushing. Why though? Vaizards already evolved from feeling shame for their bodies. He himself never felt shame for exposing his body, or from seeing anyone's, even females.

The reason for taking of her clothes were innocent, too. Damp clothing will only increase her state of illness.

Eventhough he knew this, Ichigo still shut his eyes firmly while he took off her drenched cotton dress. He felt her body sliding away from the material, and blushed again.

He couldn't bring himself to touch her undergarments, so he felt blindly for the blankets and covered her half-naked form with it up to her neck.

"That, at least, will keep her warm." he muttered to himself, allowing himself to open his amber eyes.

He gazed at her closed eyes, and the memory of the misery in them shot through him again.

What was it that put them in such pain?

However, at least now Ichigo realized what made him comfortable around Rukia, and what let him tell her about his mother.

It was the fact that it rained heavily for them both.

Finally he found out what it was in her eyes, what it was that made him feel that she had went through the same pain as him. It was the rain in her eyes.

How much he wanted to stop that rain.

Ichigo looked around the room, glad that it was peaceful again, without that Kon.

_Just the two of us._

Mentally kicking himself, Ichigo reprimanded himself for thinking that. Then he recalled the strange name Rukia called him.

_"Kaien-dono..."_

It seems that he had heard the name before, but when? Why did she call him that?

He turned back to gaze at Rukia from his sitting position next to her. She didn't look any better, but at least she was in a comfortable environment.

The Vaizard sighed, and put a stray lock on Rukia's head back. He noticed her lily-white skin, her tender lips, and the graceful way she holds herself, even when asleep.

Unknowingly, he smiled.

She had called him by his name... Ichigo. Strawberry, the fruit he was named after. And the sweetness of the strawberry was emphasized whenever she holds the name in her lips.

Ichigo was terribly tempted to call her by her name, the name that she gave him to call her. Kuchiki Rukia. And now, watching her, he decided to do so.

And he did do so, so softly, so gently that even the angels had to lean in to hear him utter that one beautiful word.

"Rukia."

He tasted her name on his lips, and it was so alien to him, yet it felt so right. Her name on his lips.

If only her name tasted so good, how sweet would it taste if it were her lips?

Ichigo felt breathless, and his body seemed to move of it's own accord. But that couldn't be...

So were it the angels that guided his movements? Angels who gently pulled him down towards her, leaning against the pink pillows, his head bent down, and angels who made his lips reach desirably for hers?

_Rukia..._

"BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!!"

"Gah!!" Ichigo yelled, and hurriedly pulled away from the fragment of an inch that would have made a kiss. In a corner somewhere, angels cursed silently.

"BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!!"

It was a familiar tone, and Ichigo knew exactly what it was. The skull-badge let out another series of loud beeps again, and he saw the flashing lights issued from the empty eyes sockets of the skull.

He dug in the wet pocket of Rukia's cotton dress, which he had left hanging on the chair. The skull badge beeped impatiently, and he wrenched it away, as it was being staplered to the pocket as always. It was completely waterproofed so the rain didn't do any harm to it. It was also shock-proofed and it was that particular fact that made him so relaxed at having the Shinigami carrying it around. He knew she would give it back to him in her own time, so he didn't beg for it too badly to get home.

However...

Ichigo pressed the button that will answer the call.

"Ichigo15xv." the projected image called. Ichigo blinked, he was already getting used from being called 'Ichigo'.

"Ichigo15xv recieving, Yadomaru Lisa qv19." answered Ichigo stately. The image of the bespectacled female Vaizard in a single long braid nodded curtly.

"Your destination has been the Planet Urahara Shoten. The second part of your plan and made schedule was to find a maturity mate." she looked up sharply from the form. "Time estimated was three days, maximum time, seven days. It has been exactly one hundred, sixty and eight hours since your departure, with your licensed spaceship, Tensa Zangetsu.

"Is there a reason for your delay, Ichigo15xv?" she asked expressionlessly. Ichigo was reminded of the time Lisa killed an Arrancar with one flick of her katana, which she always carry.

This call was about determining his bearings, as they were in the middle of a war, and every Vaizard's coordinates must be known.

"Do you need us to arrange any transportation heading back to Headquarters for you?"

Ichigo almost hesitated, but knew from experience that Vaizards are sharp-witted, meaning that they will know all details with one single movement. "I am researching the ways of the Shinigami" he blurted, but in a very professional manner. "Their behaviour has, strangely enough, intrigued my interest. I am staying for an extended time for this, and this only. Please edit the details on the form. I will be taking at least four months, maximum," he paused slightly. They both knew it was a pause of estimation, but only Ichigo knew it was also a pause for regret, and uncertainty.

"Maximum, one year."

Lisa nodded. "I presume you would like food supplies until that period of time is over?"

Ichigo said yes without emotion. He thought they were done, but then Lisa gave him another question.

"Have you entered you maturity yet, Ichigo 15xv?" which meant whether he had undergone sexual intercourse or not.

Ichigo controlled his expression, and suppressed a blush when he looked her in the eyes. "No."

"I will undergo the maturity test after my research is complete." said Ichigo, and Lisa closed her eyes. "And needless to say, until then, you are worthless to us, Ichigo15xv."

Ichigo bit his lip, and turned off the skull badge, making the image disappear.

"Yeah... useless." he muttered, frowning to himself.

Contact from the Vaizards had made him snap back to reality, at least, the Vaizard's view of reality. He was supposed to ... well... Ichigo blushed at the thought, and couldn't even look at Rukia. He was supposed to do what he came here for, but that Shinigami had somehow distracted him from his original motives.

And now he wants to stay. He could easily go back when Rukia passed him the skull-badge, but for now, he felt like he wanted to stay here with Rukia. It was nothing. The Vaizards have no need for him, and this is the first time after his mother's death that he actually felt a warm connection with someone, even if that person is a Shinigami, and a supposed maturity mate.

Why did he blushed when he thought of Rukia to be his mate? When he first met her there was no problem at all, and definitely no attraction.

Wait... attraction? Did he actually felt attraction? They did share a mutual, yet unspoken understanding, and Ichigo wanted, with all his heart and with no Vaizard pride whatsoever, to protect Rukia, so is this actually attraction?

Ichigo slipped the skull-badge back into the pocket and staplered it's red sash to the cloth, deciding to pretend as though nothing happened. He sat back at his previous position on the bed and gazed at the petite girl.

It was undeniable that he cared about her, though all the feelings he started having, he will never admit.

Undoubtly, Rukia was a special Shinigami, but she is still one.

Vaizards and Shinigami are completely different species. No Vaizard can ever care about a Shinigami. And Ichigo was definitely a Vaizard.

_So if that's how it is... _Ichigo thought, pondering.

_...I wonder if I am part Shinigami?_

--

**Yeah Ichigo feels some attraction!!**

**Do you think it's too early though?? Please share your thoughts!!**

**Don't ask me what happened to Hisagi. He probably sneezed himself to death lol.**

**Anyway, the angels cursing was a joke. It was meant that Ichigo kinda felt irritated at the interruption, and he was using angels as excuses for his actions, so the angels got blame for it. Poor winged dudes...**

**Please review!! It's very important because I've been finding it so hard to keep the story going without supportive readers!! **

Starlight, starbright, first star I wished on tonight.

I wish I may, I wish I might,

to have more reviews than ever tonight.

**Taken from a Grover story I read when I was a kid!!**


	9. He Who Protects

Hi, long time no see! This chapter was a very hard one to write, since Bleach was getting boring with ichiruki being abondoned.

I should put up some sort of glossary thingy for your convenience.

_Shinigami-_A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

_Vaizard-_Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

_Arrancar_-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

_Chappy_-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

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_In that rain, I held his body._

_His blood, so beautiful, so rich a color, streaming down along with my tears, joining the rain and staining my soul._

_His warmth was quickly taken by the rain, and I never felt it again._

_The eyes were blank, dead. I knew that even though I could not see them. His head was over my shoulder, our positions as if in an embrace, one that I did not ever again want to feel. Yet sometimes I could still feel his weight pressed on me, when I am sitting in class, reading, or walking, and even in my sleep, the memory haunts me._

_That burden will remain forever._

_I couldn't see his eyes one last time. I couldn't see his smile, as he comforted me._

_All I saw was the rain._

_Not a single day have passed in which I had never wished him still alive. Pathetic._

_That memory in the rain was like a passing nightmare. After he died, nothing about it was said, as if it never happened._

_So did his death really took it's place among the events of my world? Without him, my days are just like dreams, fake and deceiving. Are the events after his death just dreams, since they were unreal compared with that one cruel day of cold realism?_

_I had been dreaming all this while. So that means..? ...Today is the still that day, and I am still searching for him, and he is still alive. And the life I thought I had since then was the illusion._

_Yes, of course. How could he be dead? How could someone so important to me, someone so beautiful, die? Of course, of course... it was just a dream, for I could not have killed him._

_Kaien-dono is still waiting for me to find him, so what am I doing dreaming?_

_000000000000_

Rukia woke, her heart pounding.

_What happened last night? _

All she could recall was rain, and Kaien-dono holding her in his arms before everything turned to darkness.

And right now, the silhouetted figure of that familiar person focused it's gaze on her.

It was dark, but she could clearly see the outline of that tall and muscular man that she loved so much. His hair was as messy as ever, and Rukia sighed with relief that he was alive and everything else was just a dream.

Then he stood up, moonlight lighting up the bright orange hair.

"You're finally awake." Ichigo grumbled. "Do you know how loud you snored for the past three hours? ...What?" he said, frowning at the look on her face.

Rukia's eyes were watering rapidly at seeing Ichigo instead of Kaien.

"Nothing." she mumbled, blinking away the tears.

_How could I be so stupid? He's dead. No amount of moping can ever bring him back._

"Where's Chappy- I mean Pyon?" she asked thickly. Her head felt like lead.

"Kon's safe somewhere in a good home. I saw it." Ichigo said, grimacing at the thought. He saw the look on Rukia's face and added, "You don't have to look for it anymore."

"What do you mean, good home?" asked Rukia, moaning as she rubbed her head. She sat up and the blankets fell, exposing her barely-dressed torso.

"What the-? Ichigo!" yelled Rukia, trying to hide as much skin as possible with her arms and hands. Ichigo was already blushing.

"You PERVERT!" she screamed from behind the covers. "Pervert! Sicko! Freak!"

"It's not what you think!" Ichigo yelled hastily, avoiding eye contact. "You were all drenched when you stayed in the rain, so I didn't want you to get chilled!"

The petite girl gave a sudden sneeze. Seems like it was too late.

Ichigo awkwardly snatched a random matching of clothes and threw it to Rukia. "Here, Shinigami." he grunted, and shut himself in his closet.

Rukia looked at the frilly formal shirt and a flowery cotton skirt, one that she outgrew a long time ago. There was a painful throb in her head and she felt feverish, but she still managed to ponder about Ichigo's behaviour. So he was the one who carried her home, and as for how he got out, it was probably because of her forgetting to lock the door.

She started to put on the frilly shirt. Ichigo had been given the oppurtunity to leave. It wasn't as if he was stupid, the badge was in her pocket and all he had to do was take it.

The raven-haired girl got dressed in that odd assortment of clothes and went through the darkness to the chair where her damp clothes were. The badge was still there and she felt it extremely strange.

Any action to grab his badge could have been taken during the time she was unconscious. Rukia couldn't think of any explanation for this and so decided to leave his closet unlocked. He had proven himself trustworthy, anyway.

Between the few steps to the bed, Rukia felt something damp nudging against her ankles. She squinted in the dark, and realized that it was all her favourite clothes, messed up and the material all wrinkled.

"Ichigo!" she snarled, and made her way towards the closet, stumbling on unseen objects.

Rukia pulled open the closet door and grew silent that the sight before her, illuminated by the moonlight.

Ichigo was fast asleep, his mouth slightly open and his body slumped in an extremely tired fashion. His hand was curled around a small wet Chappy towel, and beside his head there was a small basin filled with water that Rukia recognised was from the bathroom. The two objects were definitely snuck in the closet after he handed her the clothes and when he shut himself in. And the reason for this was, without a doubt, so that she won't see the soft side of him.

He had stayed up till now and kept her fever under control.

Rukia felt her slightly damp forehead, and smiled.

That rare, touching moment was ruined when Ichigo started snoring.

He would keep her up all night with that noise.

"Oi... Ichigo." whispered Rukia, poking him.

It didn't seem to have any effect whatsoever, except that he snored louder that ever.

"Ichigo. Hey, Ichigo." she shook him gently. "Ichigo."

"Mm...? Rukia?" he said in mid-snore.

Rukia froze in surprise.

He called her by name. After so many days of insisting on calling her 'Shinigami' and 'human', he calls her name in his sleep.

Rukia watched as Ichigo licked his lips, and moaned incoherently as he snuggled back to whatever dream he was having. She shrugged off the incident and the strange warmth it inspired, and went back to her bed.

Dawn arrived, spreading it's golden beams across the sleepy town, and ever so gently, aroused it's inhabitants.

One particular inhabitant, however, wasn't exactly ...a normal inhabitant.

Kurosaki Ichigo15xv grunted, and forced the fatigue away as he opened his closet door to check on his sick room mate. He had wanted to wait until she was dressed and asleep, then come out to take care of her again, but he fell asleep due to the fatigue gathered from all the hours staying awake.

The Shinigami girl was hidden under the covers, curled up like ... Ichigo was reminded of shrimps.

He felt her forehead as subtly as he could, sighing with relief that her temperature had dropped. Even then, her fever was still there, and Ichigo decided to sponge her again.

Ichigo went to the closet. In it he had hid the basin of water and towel, but he saw that it was gone. At first he stood staring at the empty spot. His heart started beating anxiously, knowing that since it was definitely someone who took the objects away, it was probably Rukia and she ought to have figured out the purpose of them.

He gulped. He did not like people seeing his tender moments. Not that he had any. Or ever will.

Ichigo went closer to the bed, and saw the basin peeking out from under it.

He stood there for about a minute, his bright orange hair catching the light of the dawn, making it look as though on fire. He wondered what to do. Rukia knew that he had been sponging her all night now, so if he did it again, it will be confirming it.

Sighing, he snatched the towel up and squeezed away the water and his frustration.

So what if she knew, what did he cared about what _she_ thought, anyway?

And he stayed on the same spot for hours, treating someone who he supposedly didn't care about.

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"Chappy Power!!" Chappy Chappiest the XI cried in valiant gallantry and gallant valiance. The Power of Good, drawn from the goodness of Chappies everywhere, glowed from Chappy Chappiest the XI as he collected the energy to blast the evil slimy octopus king, King Octopus.

But King Octopus too is preparing for the ultimate attack!! Will Chappy Chappiest XI win? Will Chappyland be safe?

"You must do it, Chappy!!" Chappy Chappiest XI's sidekick Rukia called in anxiety. Her lacey pink dress had magical Chappy patterns and now they were glowing in the excitement.

"Hohoho!! I will take over Chappyland, then the world!!" the octopus king said, and Chappy's noble eyes burned with righteous anger.

"Never!!" he roared, and released the Power of Good at full blast. At the same time, the enemy fired his Power of Evil, drawn from the evilness of evil everywhere.

The two blasts met in the middle.The pink flowery and the dark purplish black energy pushed against each other. Chappy and King Octopus continued to hold the flow of their respective powers, while the force made the bright blue sky turn dark and the beautiful field of flowers shake.

But what is this?! Chappy Chappiest the XI is growing weak!! Beads of sweat glister on his noble face as he struggles to hold the Power of Good while the enemy show no sign of slowing down.

"Oh no!! Chappy needs my help!!" cried Rukia the magical sidekick, drawing a magic symbol in the air. "Power of the Righteous Fire, lent me your strength!!"

She lifted her pink gloved hands into the air, her eyes closed in the expectation of the hot burning sensation she will encounter when the Righteous Fire come down to her.

But it didn't. Instead, she was hit by cold water.

"C-Chappy!!" Rukia gasped, sitting up straight.

"No, this is your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman." came a sarcastic voice.

The cold wet cloth was slapped on her face again. She pulled it away, her face burning, but not with the Power of Righteous Fire.

"I-Ichigo!" she spluttered, embarrassed yet annoyed. "Why did you wake me up?"

"Yeah, it sounded like you were having a real adventure there." sneered Ichigo, taking the wet cloth from her and squeezing it dry.

Rukia struggled for words violent enough to fit her rage, but couldn't found any, so there was nothing but angry silence.

Her violet eyes burned with rage as she watched Ichigo fold the wet towel. He reached out towards her and she drew away.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a little harshly.

Ichigo said nothing but leaned forward and started mopping her brow with the damp towel.

Rukia sat there rigid with surprise. The Vaizard didn't meet her gaze and continued pressing the towel to her forehead.

She knew he was treating her earlier, but wasn't he hiding the fact to protect his ego?

The petite girl watched the expression on his face, which showed nothing except a little tiredness.

The room was silent except for the routine dripping of water into the basin when Ichigo squeezed the towel.

The alien tried to control himself from blushing. Rukia was staring at him so intensely that he felt his movements becoming clumsy and awkward.

Clumsy and awkward are not traits of a Vaizard.

Ichigo didn't know why that didn't bother him so much anymore. Deep inside, he felt that he wouldn't care about anything else as long as Rukia continued to gaze at him like this.

"What are you staring at, Shinigami?" he snapped, not at all irritated even if his voice suggested otherwise.

"...I can stare at anything I want, ok? You can't stop me!" Rukia growled, feeling a blush creeping onto her face, eventhough she didn't know why.

Ichigo frowned and dropped the towel back into the basin. The two stared at each other.

The alien felt uncomfortable knowing that she thinks he is treating her because he cares for her. Though it was the truth, Ichigo would rather die than admit it.

"You better get well soon, Shinigami." he said with an unfriendly tone. "You can't entertain me if you're sick. Plus, other Shinigami will come in to treat you and stuff, and imagine how bored I'd be, stuck in the closet all day."

Rukia gaped. _Of all the selfish things to say!!_

"N-No one asked you to treat me, idiot!! And stop calling me Shinigami!!"

"I'm forced to help you recover for my benefit." said Ichigo, giving a fake yawn. "And a Shinigami is a Shinigami, no matter how it denies the fact."

Rukia raised her eyebrows. She remembered Ichigo calling her name in his sleep last night and almost smirked, but stopped herself in time.

It was probably thanks to Ichigo that she was feeling much better now, though the back of her head felt heavier than it was normal. Rukia happened to glance at her Chappy clock and gasped.

"I'm gonna be late for school!! And I haven't even eaten breakfast!!"

Ichigo stepped neatly out of the way as Rukia rushed to change into her school uniform.

"I-Ichigo!!" she cried in horror as the mess in her room was revealed in full daylight.

"Um... sorry?" he said, scratching the back of his head. He was looking for towels last night in a hurry, but couldn't find any, so he pulled her clothes out of the cupboard to dry her, instead. Now everything laid all over the floor, most of them damp and stepped on in the dark yesterday night.

"Aargh!!" Rukia yelled and started hunting for her school clothes.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Nii-sama!!" gaped Rukia with her mouth open. "What are you standing there for?! Help me pick all this up, quick!!" she instructed, feeling her legs going weak with the pressure.

"Right..." Ichigo said quickly. He scooped dirty clothes up by the armful, and proceeded to stuff them in the empty drawers. Rukia winced at the brutal treatment her clothes were recieving, but hastened to follow suit.

"Rukia." came Byakuya's deep voice outside the door, and he knocked again.

"C-Coming, Nii-sama!!" cried Rukia, although he couldn't hear her through the soundproof door.

The clothes that wouldn't fit back in the drawer now that they are in such a messy state, were rushed to the bathroom and dumped in the bathtub.

"Wait for me to go back into the closet first, idiot!!" hissed Ichigo as Rukia made to open the door. She hissed back at him. "Just do your invisiblity thing or whatever!! Just hurry!!"

Ichigo gave an irritated groan and toggled the invisiblity button. He vanished.

"Nii-sama!!" said Rukia nervously, opening the door. The figure of her brother loomed over her.

Byakuya observed her.

"Why are you dressed in such an odd combination of clothes?" he asked slowly.

Rukia froze as she realized that she was still wearing the frilly shirt and short cotton skirt.

"...!!...!!.!..."

"Anyway, my reason for calling you will be... number one, you are late for breakfast." his tone was expressionless, but Rukia still felt reprimanded. "And number two..."

Rukia blinked. She couldn't think what number two could be.

"...Your white-haired friend is here looking for you."

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That familiar piercing eyes met Rukia as soon as she opened the front door.

"Toushiro!!"

"Hey." Hitsugaya grunted. He looked at the frilly shirt. "What the hell are you dressed for? "

"Why are you here, Toushiro?" asked Rukia in a low voice. They both know Byakuya didn't welcome him as his uncle is a big business rival of Byakuya's.

"I'm walking you to school." replied Hitsugaya shortly.

Rukia's eyes widened in disbelief. When will this walking her everywhere nonsense stop? Sure, they do walk together, but only until crossroads where they go their separate ways.

"Toushiro..." Rukia said uneasily. Around mornings Byakuya was still around, and since Byakuya disliked seeing her short friend around, this was certainly not a good idea.

"Go change, baka." he ordered. "I'm going blind just looking at your poor fashion sense."

A cold winter breeze blew by, and Rukia sneezed.

"Excuse me." sniffed Rukia.

"You're sick." Hitsugaya said suddenly.

"You can't tell by a single sneeze, Toushiro." Rukia said hastily, but a small but firm hand was already feeling her forehead.

"You're sick." he repeated, his brow furrowing.

"I'm fine." Rukia said, frowning.

"No you're not. You can't go to school like this, your temperature will increase at once."

"I'm absolutely fine!!" said Rukia, trying to make her friend see sense. "Look, I'm loads better already..."

"So you were worse?" said Hitsugaya, raising an eyebrow. The raven-haired girl groaned in exasperation. "It doesn't matter!! I'm healthy now."

"You stay home and rest." he ordered. When Hitsugaya used a tone like this, it meant that the conversation was over.

"...Fine." muttered Rukia, and Hitsugaya turned and walked away.

He didn't even look back once.

Rukia sighed and closed the door. Her friend was acting stranger by the day. She wished fervently that she knew the cause of it.

Rukia walked along the hall and it's priceless antiques and oil paintings. The house looked ordinary on the outside, but on the inside it reflected Byakuya's noble background to the fullest.

It was unclear to Rukia why they lived in such an average neighbourhood when it was obvious that Byakuya would prefer a fancy, extravagant mansion complete with servants.

The only thing she knew is that Byakuya moved here only after he adopted her. Rukia remember the walls being freshly painted and whole house smelling of being newly renovated when she was brought here.

She ran into Byakuya himself along the corridor.

They had already passed when Byakuya called her.

"Rukia."

"Y-Yes, Nii-sama?" she said, as nervous as always when being addressed by him.

"You look pale."

"I do?" Rukia asked uncertainly.

Her brother turned around and gazed at her.

"You're not well..." he murmured, and Rukia gulped as he approached her.

Instinctively, Rukia squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip as the tall man came nearer and nearer. There was a faint smell of lavender and slight warmth on her skin from his breath.

A smooth hand passed over her forehead.

Rukia opened her eyes and realized that she was blushing.

Byakuya was gazing at the hand that felt her forehead, as if measuring the temperature.

To Rukia's surprise, he turned back and started walking away.

"You will rest, and will not leave the house on any account." Byakuya said, surprising her again with his sudden words. He stopped. "Do you understand?"

"Yes... Nii-sama." said Rukia softly.

The cold man walked away, and Rukia waited till she heard the front door closing before entering her room.

Ichigo was looking out of the window. The expression on his face was stern, though Rukia had no idea why.

"Who was that?" he asked, his voice cold.

"My brother. You've seen him before, haven't you?" said Rukia, cocking an eyebrow.

Ichigo glared at her as if she was trying to be funny on purpose.

"The other one. The one with white hair." he growled.

"Oh, him? That's Toushiro, my friend." Rukia said, laying back on her Chappy-bed.

"It doesn't look like you're just 'friends'." said Ichigo, frowning his fiercest at her.

"Well, we are...good friends..." said Rukia slowly, not comprehending his meaning.

"Yeah, looks that way." Ichigo sneered. "Reeeaaal good friends."

"What's wrong?" asked Rukia, frowning back. "You're acting strange."

Ichigo "hmphed" and turned his back on her. It aggravated him that she is not reacting at all.

The silence stretched on as he waited impatiently for her to say something.

"I can see," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. "You two are sooo close, it's hard to be away from each other, right?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Rukia crossly.

"The two of you..." Ichigo muttered angrily.

"What?! It's not as if I've never told you about him before!"

"You told me you had a friend, all right, but not that the friend was a guy!!" yelled Ichigo.

"So what??" Rukia shouted back.

Apparently Ichigo had no answer to that, as he spluttered a few incoherent words then turned back to the window in stony silence.

"Look, Toushiro and I are friends, there's no changing that fact." said Rukia, irritated, eventhough she didn't know why he was so mad on this topic.

"Oh?!" said Ichigo, eyes narrowed. "He touched you!!"

"He felt my forehead for my temperature!! Don't make it sound as if he molested me or something!!" yelled Rukia, blushing.

Ichigo pouted at her. "So you're only friends?"

"Yeah, we are friends." Rukia said, frowning at him.

"Hmph." He turned to face his back towards her.

"Stupid strawberry." Rukia muttered, plopping back on her back and starting to count the Chappies on the ceiling.

"For the last time," Ichigo snarled, "the strawberry is an elegant fruit!! That's why I was named after it, 'Ichigo'!!"

"It's a girl's name, moron!!" spat Rukia. "If it were me I'd give you a better name!!"

"Oh? Try." he challenged.

"...I don't know!! I'll to think about it, ok?"

Ichigo laughed victoriously. "Just like a Shinigami to say something before thinking it through."

"Oh yeah?" said Rukia, embarassed. "I bet you're not capable of pronouncing even my name!!"

He looked at her coldly. "What gave you such a stupid thought??"

"You keep calling me Shinigami over and over again, who knows if it's because of your inability to say my name?!"

"Well, just listen to this!!" Ichigo stormed closer to her and yelled in her face. "RUKIA RUKIA RUKIA RUKIA RUUKIA!!"

And when he finished screaming that name, the name that he had been suppressing himself not to utter it, he found himself close to her face.

The owner of the name was blushing as her violet orbs were absorbed in the bright ambers.

Ichigo gulped. They were so close that he could feel the radiating warmth of her body.

It was just like last night, when he almost kissed her.

_She is even more beautiful when she is awake._

Ichigo's eyes were half-closed and he was moving closer when Rukia reacted.

"...Strawberry."

Ichigo was snapped back to reality, and he stood up straight and stepped back to make space between them.

"...Shinigami" he muttered, and went into his closet to hide.

Rukia loosened her breath after the closet door was shut.

What happened? When he came that close, Rukia felt the strangest sensation. It was as if she ... it was as if she was completed. Just for that moment it felt as if she was whole.

The whole experience was so strange, Rukia didn't even want to think about it.

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Loud music burst their way throughout the neighbourhood. The violent lyrics screamed at all, burning every pair of ears whose owners understood the meaning of the dirty words.

As sudden as every staccato in the song, there was an angry crash, and the music died. The walls echoed with it's fading notes, and from the person who smashed the music player, there came a growl, a growl that was more suited for a wild beast than a human.

A man stood at the doorway, which had no door as it was smashed from it's hinges from the start. "Now you have no music to pass the time."

"Like hell I care!!" the other yelled, crushing the metal bits with his bare heel.

The man watched his green-haired companion take out his frustration on the CD now. The whole room was already spray-painted along with the broken furniture. Almost every object in the room was destroyed, though, the window was untouched. It's glass was in fact freshly polished.

"Leave." the destructive man growled. "Leave or I'll break you, next."

The other man complied.

Now alone, the violent man turn to the window and looked at the house opposite.

"I can't stand it any longer..."

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Rukia opened her eyes.

"...Guess I fell asleep." she muttered to herself. She was feeling great, though. The fever was almost gone now.

A complaining sound came from her rumbling stomach. Now that the illness had faded, her hunger is noticed.

Rukia leapt to her feet and stretched herself a little, feeling alert and fit.

Pausing at the door, she looked back at the closet and sighed.

"Ichigo." she called, rapping at the closet door. "I'm going to get myself something to eat. You want anything?"

A muffled "No way would I want to eat any of your disgusting Shinigami food" was heard.

Rukia shrugged and went to the kitchen.

She fixed herself some instant ramen and went to eat in front of the television. Hopefully there'll be something good on TV.

Nothing was interesting so she just finished her food, cleaned up and went back to her room.

Ichigo was still sulking in the closet.

The petite girl decided to sort out her dirty clothes. Their laundry was done by having Isane taking it to the laundrette. She would have to ask a favor from Isane to help keep this outrageous amount of dirty clothing a secret from Byakuya.

During her quest to save her room from evil clothing, Rukia discovered some clothes that were clean. Relieved that she won't have to stay in the frilly shirt anymore, Rukia quickly changed into more normal clothing.

She sorted the clothes into piles, Isane can't carry the her whole wardrobe there, it'll attract too much attention, and may cause trouble.

Just as she was sorting out her clothes from mildy dirty to filthy, she heard the gate open. Probably a salesman. Rukia went out of bedroom and locked it, just in case in was someone else that may need to come in.

Rukia hurried towards the front door. she expected the doorbell to ring, but instead, as she entered the hallway, the door crashed open, barely hanging by it's hinges.

Rukia gasped at it.

The man responsible stood at the doorway, a smirk on his face. His blue-green eyes that had markings of the same color were locked on her, and Rukia stood there, frozen to the spot.

There were tight security systems around the house. So why didn't anything go off?

"W-what do you want?" Rukia stammered. The man chuckled and stepped into the hall. "What I want, woman? You askin' me what I want?!"

Rukia gulped. She could tell even by the aura radiating from his well-toned body that this man was dangerous.

The punkish man looked young and was dressed in a purple shirt and a white coat that had it's sleeves folded up to his arms. His wild hair was a light green color.

"What I want, woman, is _you_."

"W-what??" whispered Rukia, horrorstruck.

"You heard me." he said lazily, and with lightning speed, pinned her down.

"What are you doing??" cried Rukia, too scared to think straight. He held her arms from behind her and pinned her down in some sort of kneeling position, with him breathing lustfully down her neck.

The green-haired man laughed wildly. "Man, I'm gonna enjoy myself."

This man isn't like Ichigo. Yes, Ichigo did act like this, but not with this terrifying lust.

_Ichigo wasn't like this, he didn't know what he was doing was wrong... this man... this man enjoys hurting others..._

"Stay away from me!!" yelled Rukia, thrashing her head about, as any other movement was pinned by the dangerous stranger. In response, he bit her neck. Rukia shouted out in pain and felt a cold, disgusted shiver down her spine as his tongue comforted the bite and soothed the pain.

_Ichigo would never hurt me..._

She felt his lips tenderly treating the bite. Rukia tried to struggle, but his grip was so strong that it was as though she didn't do anything at all. He bit her again, and continued to sooth it the same way.

"Damn it woman... you taste real good." he muttered.

_Ichigo..._

Rukia felt tears welling up in her eyes. The green-haired man pulled aside her collar with his teeth and started kissing her bare shoulder.

"ICHIGO!!"

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"Huh?" Ichigo sat upright. "Rukia?"

He opened the closet door.

Was it his imagination, or did he hear Rukia call?

"ICHIGO!!"

Her voice was full of terror and helplessness.

Nothing unimportant would make her call him like that.

"Rukia?!" yelled Ichigo, eventhough the door was soundproof. "Rukia!! Hang on, I'm coming!!"

He tried to open the door but it was locked.

"ICHIGO!!"

"Darn it!!" he yelled angrily, trying to barge open the door. "Open up!!" He slammed himself against the door with full force.

"Open-UP!!"

But it didn't.

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"ICHIGO!!" screamed Rukia hysterically. Why wouldn't he come?? Is he scared that the man will see that he's an alien?

"Who the hell is Ichigo?" the green-haired man growled.

Rukia struggled against his grip, but it was no use.

"ICHIGO!!" Rukia cried.

"Shut up, woman!!"

Rukia tried to calm down and think of a way out. Could it be the same way she got out with Ichigo be the answer?

The man started nibbling her earlobe and Rukia winced. She was feeling hot all over and she bit her lip from crying out as one hand slithered to her inner thigh. He started massaging her thigh while kissing her neck. The other hand continued it's grip on her wrists, as his hand was big enough to hold both her wrists.

Rukia forced herself to relax and turn slightly towards the kisses as though enjoying the sensation.

And his grip loosened.

Rukia used all her strength and snatched her hands free. Turning quickly around, she slapped him as hard as she could.

The impact forced him to turn sideways. However, she saw that he was grinning psychotically.

He let her slap him on purpose.

"Wow, woman, you sure are cold." he gave a fake shiver, then laughed maniacally.

"Just like ice." he hissed, tracing her jawbone with a finger. Rukia slapped his hand away and punched him straight in the face. There was no change in his expression: he was still grinning despite Rukia's fist slamming on him. Rukia's eyes widened, and delivered another punch, and another, and another...

Still he was grinning, and his face held no sign of bruises. Rukia was already panting, and her knuckles felt like they were broken.

The man chuckled sadistically and of all the sudden, swooped down and lightly kissed Rukia on the lips.

"Aargh!!" the petite girl cried, and tried to wipe her lips. The man smirked and reached out for her, but she slipped away.

"Ichigo!" Rukia called. Her worn out arms flailed beside her as she ran. She stumbled while trying to climb the stairs, and the man who was following behind her steadily caught hold of her by the waist and pin her down.

"No more running." he whispered. Rukia flinched as she felt his hot breath down her neck.

As his hand started groping her thighs, and then edging slowly upwards, Rukia felt that all hope was lost. She couldn't move at all under the man's weight, and there was no sign of Ichigo.

Then she noticed it.

Her room door was shaking from time to time, yet no sound came from it.

Ichigo is trying to come, it's just that the door is soundproofed so that sound from inside can't be heard from outside, so..!

"ICHIGO!!" Rukia shouted, filled with hope once again.

The door shook even more violently than before.

"Ichigo?" the green-haired man said, looking up. "Is tha' even a name or a fruit?"

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Was that a man's voice??

Ichigo heard distinctively... that is a _man_ down there tormenting Rukia.

At once he was boiling. Every fibre in him was burning to get his hands on the man that caused Rukia to scream like that.

Everything was automatic. He got out the Vaizard skull badge that was in the damp pocket of Rukia's dress, he turned on the function that Vaizards use to blend in other civilisations. He wasn't even thinking, everything happened as it did.

And eventhough his shoulder was already sore, all his rage just seem to gather and he slammed himself brutally against the door, making it fly open.

The sound of the crash made Rukia and the man look up. Rukia stared as Ichigo was no longer wearing his rubber suit. Instead, he is wearing the same casual clothes of a character from the manga in her room. His antannaes were gone, and his hands probably has four fingers instead of three.

Ichigo glared down at them.

If the voice of that man didn't make him angry enough, the sight of him in that tangled position with _his _Shinigami, drove him mad.

And if that wasn't enough still, Rukia's tear-stained face, savage red marks on her skin and her messy clothes did it.

"Hey." said Ichigo, growling.

The green-haired man stood up and surveyed him. "So you're Ichigo?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Ichigo..." cried Rukia, running to his side.

"She's yours?" the man asked.

"Yes, she is."

Rukia gasped and stared at him.

The green-haired man grinned. "Well, I want her."

Ichigo stared coldly at him.

"Whadya say? Let's fight for her." the man offered.

Ichigo closed his eyes.

"...No." he said quietly.

"What?"

"No. " said Ichigo. "You will not even _think _of having her. I'm gonna fight you, I'm gonna beat the crap out of you, but not because I'll fighting you for her, but because you hurt her. And for that, you're gonna die."

The man looked at him, a blood-thirsty grin on his face. "You really know how to talk big, you bastard."

Ichigo opened his eyes, and Rukia saw that they were burning with anger.

"Shut up." Ichigo snarled, descending the stairs.

"Make me." the man challenged, grinning psychotically.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, and with inhuman speed, he lunged forward and punched the man. His fist collided with the man's jaw, and the man stumbled.

He looked up at Ichigo in surprise, then his grin widened.

Rukia gasped as the man moved with the same speed and hit Ichigo in the stomach.

The Vaizard grunted and spat blood.

"Ichigo!!" cried Rukia, feeling more pain than he is.

In response, he swung his fist at the man, but the man blocked and slammed his elbow into Ichigo's chest.

Rukia watched in horror as they fought, landing punches multiple times on each other, all the while the green haired man laughing. "Is that all you've got?"

Ichigo knocked the man and he fell back into the hall. The Vaizard didn't give him a chance to recover, and dashed forward at once to land another attack. However, the man kicked him hard in the guts, and Ichigo spat more blood.

Rukia, who followed them into the hall, looked away at the sight, but she knew she couldn't ask him to retreat. Ichigo's face was so murderous, it was amazing that his opponent didn't feel any fear.

The green haired man was spitting blood as well, but he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"I've haven't had this much fun in ages." he commented to himself, the sadistic grin plastered on his face.

Ichigo slammed the man into the wall, and the man head-butted him in return.

It was a strange thing to see two men fighting brutally in the Kuchiki household.

The two was already bloodied all over, and beads of sweat dripped from their faces, but they are far from slowing down. Rukia couldn't keep count of the attacks they swung at each other, and the violent stranger only laughed each time as Rukia called out to Ichigo.

Ichigo punched the man with his full strength, and it caught him in mid-laugh.

He fell back towards the door.

"Now it's my turn." he said, grinning.

Suddenly a man appeared behind him.

"Stop it, Grimmjow."

The man, Grimmjow, spun around. "Tousen!!"

The dark-skinned man stood behind him, his unseeing eyes behind his shades as always.

"Tousen?" said Rukia uncertainly. _Tousen-san?_ _The man who helped me the other day?_

"Why the hell are you here, Tousen?" snarled Grimmjow with displeasure. "You're spoiling my fun."

"Why am I here, you ask?" the blind man asked. Rukia stared at him. He still looked the same as she saw him the other day, except that Komamura, his guide dog, wasn't with him this time. Which was strange... weren't he unable to move around without his guide dog?

"You've left the house without the knowledge of your housemate. Luckily he had alerted me at once, or else you might still be around terrorizing everyone."

"It ain't your business." growled Grimmjow. Tousen frowned. "You have directly violated orders."

"So what?"

Grimmjow turned at looked at Ichigo and Rukia. "I knocked out all five of your damn bodyguards, I saw your brother and your friend leave, and for all this time, I've never seen this bastard." he smirked and pointed at Ichigo. Rukia bit her lip, but felt confused. _What bodyguards?_

"One thing certain, your boyfriend ain't supposed to be here." he sneered. Ichigo clenched his fist. Grimmjow laughed. "You wouldn't like it if he's found out, right?"

"That's enough, Grimmjow." Tousen said.

"Whatever." he spat.

They turned to leave.

"Wait!!" yelled Ichigo. "Where do you think you're going??"

"Shut your ass up. We're going back." replied Grimmjow, his brows furrowed.

"Don't play games with me!!" shouted Ichigo. "You come here, attack Rukia, and now you're leavin' on a whim?! You got to be kidding me!!

"Get back here!! We aren't finished yet!!"

Grimmjow didn't stop, but he did glance back at Ichigo. "Don't go forgettin' my name!"

Ichigo glared at him, and Grimmjow smirked back. "Just pray you never hear it again!"

Rukia gripped Ichigo's arm.

"Grimmjow Jaggerjaques!!"

Ichigo growled, and Rukia knew he was burning that name into the core of his soul.

The green-haired man turned and left, all the while laughing maniacally. Tousen turned to leave as well, but Rukia called him back. "T-Tousen-san..."

He paused in his tracks. "You are the girl whose bag was snatched by the thug."

"You know... that man?"

"Grimmjow Jaggerjaques is a former criminal under rehabilitation. I am in charge of him." Tousen said, his face emotionless. "I hope he had not troubled you in any way."

"Oh yes he di-" Ichigo began, but Rukia silenced him.

"If you will excuse me, I'll be on my way." Tousen said. "Forgive me for my carelessness. I assure you that it will not happen again."

He left.

Rukia looked at Ichigo, who had a strange expression on his face. It looked almost like guilt.

"Ichigo...?" Rukia whispered. Ichigo didn't meet her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Rukia." he muttered.

"Don't be silly... you came out on time, it was my fault for locking the door."

"I didn't mean that."

Rukia blinked. "What?"

"I didn't know I had hurt you like that... during the time we first met." he said, looking at the ground with the most guilty tone.

"No... you were different." said Rukia. "You didn't know you were doing the wrong thing."

"It's still the same, isn't it?" said Ichigo, gazing at her miserably. "I forced you to undergo sexual intercourse, so did he..."

"But both times failed."

"So? I hurt you like he did!!" Ichigo looked down at his bloodied hands. "I'm just the same savage like he is.

"No you're not, Ichigo. You didn't know. He knew he was harassing me, and enjoyed it. There's a difference."

"It doesn't matter whether I knew or not!! I hurt you, didn't I?" cried Ichigo, closing his eyes, disgusted at himself. "I hurt you."

"No you didn't. At that time I knew you were just conceited and stubborn, but not lustful." consoled Rukia, not letting go of his arm.

"Are you okay now?" asked Ichigo, eyeing the bite marks on her skin with distaste.

"You're in a worse condition than I am, idiot... you're wounded all over."

"Are you okay?" Ichigo repeated, seeming not to notice the bloodied state he was in.

"I'm fine..." sighed Rukia, "Thanks to you."

Ichigo stayed silent while staring at the red marks. Rukia knew that he was blaming himself. She hated that thought.

"Say... I've thought of a new name for you." she whispered, hoping to distract him. "Remember just now, I told you I'd think about it?" Rukia continued, trying to catch his eye.

Ichigo looked at her dispiritedly.

"Ichigo."

"Yeah?"

"No, I mean your new name's Ichigo."

"...It's the same name I have now."

"It only sounds alike." explained Rukia patiently. "Your old name meant 'Strawberry', right?"

Ichigo just stared at her with the same misery in his eyes.

"Your new name, Ichi-go, means 'he who protects'."

The Vaizard blinked. "What?"

"He who protects. Ichigo." smiled Rukia. "See? It fits you!"

"I lost that fight, Rukia. I didn't get to kill him."

The petite girl sighed. "What was the reason you started the fight for?" she asked.

Ichigo didn't answer.

"You protected me, Ichigo." whispered Rukia, smiling. "Thank you."

Ichigo couldn't help but smile a little, too.

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"HULLO? Hulloo??" a male voice yelled at the doorway.

"You better hide." Rukia told Ichigo, and he went. The two of them had tried their best to clean up the evidence, such as droplets of blood and such so that Byakuya wouldn't notice anything, but the front door was practically smashed, so they had prepared excuses to give to Byakuya, all of which are lame.

"What is it?" asked Rukia, and to her surprise the man was carrying a door that looked exactly like their old one.

"Is this house the one that ordered this door?" the man asked. "I'm the carpenter, and I recieved a call a while ago ordering this." He gestured to the door on his back.

"Um... was it a man who ordered this?" asked Rukia uncertainly.

"Yeah, and he footed the bill, too."

_That man was probably Tousen-san, as apology for Grimmjow's actions._

"Ok, please fix it here." Rukia pointed out the obvious, and then felt relieved as that problem is settled.

She went back to her room, where Ichigo is. Her door was forced open, but it didn't fly off the hinges like the front door, so only the lock was damaged.

Ichigo was cleaning a few wounds that he missed earlier. He still looked like a human, without his antannaes and with human clothes.

Rukia asked why.

Ichigo pulled out the skull badge from his pocket. "It's a function installed. Like a virtual image... you picture a form, and it creates the illusion that you're wearing it."

Rukia was intrigued, but then another thought occured.

"Now that you have the skull-badge..." hestitated Rukia. "Does that mean you're going to leave?"

Ichigo froze.

Rukia watched him nervously. For some reason, she didn't like the thought of him returning.

"You crazy?" yelled Ichigo suddenly, throwing a pillow at her.

It hit her straight on the face. "Huh?!"

"You think I'm that irresponsible?" he said with an irritated tone, although if he truly was irritated, he wouldn't avoid her gaze like this. "I've got to finish my fight with that bastard Grimmjow, don't forget! And since you're the bait, if I stay with you all the time, I'll be able to meet him again!"

Rukia raised an eyebrow. Ichigo prefered to look at a Chappy face instead of her when he said all this.

"Until that, I can't return!" he added, head turned the other way.

Rukia crossed her arms. "Hey, Ichigo. What does 'Ichigo' means?"

Ichigo looked at her. "Why, 'he who protects', of course."

He was smirking.

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**Yay!! I finally finished this chapter!! It wasn't that hard once I got into it, but thanks to the people who gave me the motivation!! Like _your loyal fan, TwilightAmethyst_, and _monkey.rawkk.star_for story alerts and reviews to remind me that I still have a fanfic unfinished. **

**I dunno if this chapter's good or not, please share your thoughts!! And is it better to have a chapter long?**

Gimme a review or your goldfish here gets it!!

**Should Grimmjow's housemate be Ulquiorra or Luppi? (Is Luppi even a guy?)**


	10. Orange haired chappy and his shinigami

Hi... I haven't updated for months. I had computer trouble and other stuff kept coming up. Sorry.

Here's a quick recap of the last chapter.

Ichigo the Vaizard fought off Grimmjow, a psychotic stranger who tried to attack Rukia, thinking she was alone. He was led away by Tousen, who told Ichigo and Rukia that he was in charge of Grimmjow, a former criminal under rehab.

Glossary thing down below:

Shinigami-A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

Vaizard-Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

Arrancar-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

Chappy-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

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It was Saturday morning.

Rukia laid in bed, pondering on yesterday's events.

This man named Grimmjow, abnormally strong, literally kicked down her front door yesterday and declared that he 'wants' her. Ichigo protected her, and fought with him until he bled.

Rukia felt it so strange that Ichigo, explaining days before that Vaizards are able to control their emotions, would be so mad at Grimmjow and completely lose his temper like that.

Did he change in this few days he had stayed with her? It seemed so, when she first met him he was no doubt a proper Vaizard.

Ichigo and Grimmjow would had killed each other if Tousen-san didn't show up, thought Rukia. So he worked as some sort of guardian for former criminals under rehabilitation, he must be extremely good at it for people to trust a blind man with such a job.

And Ichigo...

Rukia subconsciously smiled as the orange-haired alien flashed through her mind.

He looked so miserable thinking at he had hurt her like Grimmjow, when the two was so different.

"Hey Ichigo. You awake yet?"

No reply.

Rukia turned her head towards the closet. "Ichigo."

He still didn't answer her. Strange, as he was a light sleeper being a Vaizard.

The petite girl got up and went in front of the cupboard. She rapped sharply on the wood.

"Wake up."

There was no sound at all from within and a weird feeling appeared in Rukia's guts.

She pulled the door open and gasped.

Ichigo was gone.

Rukia searched the room for the skull badge but it was in vain. In fact, the last she remember seeing it was in ichigo's hand.

_He left me?! He said he wouldn't!!_

But there was no absolutely trace of Ichigo, and the frantic search for him that ensued proved fruitless.

Gasping back emotions she couldn't well explain, Rukia sat on her bed where Ichigo often sat, and gazed blankly at her room.

It just seemed so empty without him.

And she just couldn't see where he could have gone, except back to his Vaizard people.

Rukia felt her lower lip trembling and let her feelings show by kicking the closet door.

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"That was surprisingly easy." Ichigo muttered.

He strolled along the streets of Karakura Town, a bored, don't-care look on his face. With his selection of clothes (he imitated the lead character from Rukia's manga) he looked exactly like a normal teenager.

The alien's intention is to get back to Rukia as soon as possible after his visit to Sereitei High, so that Grimmjow couldn't get a chance to disturb her again, but for some inexplictable reason...

He was lost.

He, Ichigo, a Vaizard, was lost.

But of course he wouldn't admit it.

The orange-haired alien chose a direction at the crossroad and took it after careful consideration. It turned out to be the wrong one, however, since he came to a field soon. A few teenagers were playing a strange game with a black and white ball.

Ichigo cursed and turned back. Suddenly he heard a whizzing sound heading in his direction. With his superior Vaizard reflexes, he spun around and caught the soccer ball as calmly as he would be reading a book.

"Wow!!" said a girl. "Cool reflexes!!"

She came over to Ichigo, who was bearing his usual scowl mixed with a little bemusement for the ball he was still holding.

"Hey, care for a game? I could use a little competition, the guys' are losing by too many." the girl said, sticking her hands in her pockets and grinned at him.

Ichigo looked at her. She had short raven hair and seemed like a tomboy. And according to the books he read, tomboys do not enjoy feminine activities and instead, prefer sports.

Then he considered her offer. He knew he had lots of time before Byakuya went to work, and Grimmjow wouldn't appear if Byakuya was around. If he accepted, he could get an early start accoustoming to earth activities and learn the social habits of Rukia's age group, thus making what he was about to attempt on Monday so much easier.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" he replied, giving her the strange ball back. "Only could you explain to me the way of this game? I am afraid I am not familiar with the rules that comes with it."

Confusion passed over the girl's face. "Er... sure."

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"No... it's just that ...um, almost everybody knows how to play soccer." she said, tapping the ball.

"I just moved here. People from my old home don't play soccer." he said truthfully, and hoped that she'd buy that.

She did. Lucky for him.

"Oh, I'm Tatsuki, by the way." she said, as they walked to the guys she was with.

"I'm Ichigo."

"Ichigo?" Tatsuki said questioningly. "Doesn't that mean strawberry?"

"He who protects."

"Oh." she grinned her tomboyish smile at him. "Cool."

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"Stupid Ichigo!!"

Rukia growled curses at the empty closet and smacked it, hurting herself.

The petite girl had searched the whole house just in case he was hiding somewhere, invisible, but she didn't find anything. She couldn't think of why he would ignore her calls if he really was hiding, anyway.

_Maybe he went out and fought Grimmjow!!_

Rukia's eyes widened but she knew it wasn't it... she had glimpsed Grimmjow in the window of the house opposite, great irritation on his face as if someone was lecturing him and he could barely control himself not to strangle that someone. Apparently her guess was correct, since he had looked over his shoulder and started yelling in response to the lecture.

Sighing, she opened Ichigo's closet door and wondered if she should tidy up the pillows and blankets, since Ichigo is gone now. But she quickly rejected the idea. She just didn't like admitting the thought of never seeing the orange-haired Vaizard again.

Rukia leaned on the blankets and sulked. The soft fabric rubbed against her pale cheeks, and she sniffed delicately.

It smelled like Ichigo.

She buried her head in the material and inhaled, letting the lingering frangance of the Vaizard comfort her.

_Ichigo you idiot._

Rukia closed her eyes and let her breath out.

She climbed into the closet and shut the door like how Ichigo used to, after they say their goodnights, and hours later, after he wakes up to use the bathroom, or when she uses it, and he'll open the door to see what's she doing.

The raven-haired girl shut herself in the darkness and laid back on the pillow. She could feel a depression in the blankets and pillow, printed by Ichigo's body. And now she laid in it, comparing the vast difference in their body sizes.

The closet doesn't fit Ichigo in length, so he sleeps either with his legs propped up against the closet wall or curled up.

Rukia fitted perfectly in the closet, but she curled up her legs to match Ichigo, and pressed her head against the pillow, making the most of what she has left of him.

Then she fell asleep, escaping to her dreams.

The afternoon slipped away, and soon the Chappy-ized room was filled with red and orange light.

Rukia, who got a headache from excess sleep, opened the closet door and groaned.

The orange light from sundown looked too much like the orange on Ichigo's head, so she left the room, not planning to return until the orange light gave way to darkness.

Never in a thousand years would she admit to herself why the bright orange hurt her so, though.

She was surprised by Byakuya's presence in the living room. Wasn't he supposed to be at work? Seemingly he had never left the house this morning. Rukia decided not to ask why.

But avoiding conversation was not on Byakuya's mind. "Rukia."

The petite girl stopped dead in her tracks, and her heart gave a nervous lurch, as it always do when Byakuya addresses her.

"Yes, Nii-sama?"

His eyes surveyed her, and as usual, she felt like he was x-raying her.

"Did anything happen yesterday when I was not around?"

And Rukia felt like her heart stopped.

_How did he know? If he hinted that he knew, does this mean he knows parts of it already? So Nii-sama knows about Grimmjow? What about Tousen? _

_What about Ichigo??_

"Did anything happen? Like what?" She hurriedly put on a confused expression, not so well as she'd like though. Byakuya narrowed his eyes before she could finish her sentence.

For a minute it looked like the elegant man was going to say something, but then he stood up and giving her a last penetrating stare, he left the living room.

It was only after hearing his study's door close when Rukia let out her breath. Her nii-sama can be so scary sometimes.

She turned on the TV and surfed for something interesting, at a low volume, of course. She didn't want to disturb Byakuya.

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For dinner they had delivery from the fanciest restaurant in town.

They were regular customers, and Byakuya thought nothing of ordering the most expensive dishes. Rukia, however, always felt a little awkward. There was a time when she didn't eat so lavishly.

Rukia winced when Byakuya told her not to touch smoked salmon as it was "not up to standard". She didn't think it had tasted any different.

After cleaning up, Rukia went back to her bedroom and took out her sketchpad.

She doodled and sketched and drew, but the silence in the room was unbearable.

Her own Chappy characters mocked her as she created them. At every slight sound she jumped, her own mind tricking her into thinking that Ichigo had returned.

"Damn you, Ichigo." muttered Rukia bitterly.

Suddenly there was this tapping sound.

Rukia turned around warily, thinking it was another false alarm.

Then she saw Ichigo's face at the window.

So what else could she do? Of course, given her position, and she being alone in a room in silence on a cold dark night, and suddenly the pale face of her Vaizard pressed against the frosted glass of her window...

"AAAaaaaAAAAAaaaaAAAAHHH!!" Rukia shrieked, falling backwards on her chair.

She crashed down to the carpeted floor but quickly stumbled to her feet.

"What are you doing?" she whispered, even though Byakuya couldn't hear them as the door was soundproof.

Ichigo mouthed something but she couldn't hear him.

"The window is stuck, it can't be opened." Rukia said, going closer and gesturing.

She heard a distant "what?" from Ichigo. She leaned in, inches from the glass and said loudly, "The window is stuck!! You need to use the front door!!"

There was no response as the petite girl realised that Ichigo was staring at her. And then she realised she was too close to Ichigo's face. Too close.

Only the glass was between them, otherwise they would be close enough to...

_Well... close enough to kiss._

Rukia blushed furiously and pulled away.

She grabbed her sketchpad and Sode no Shirayuki, her best pen.

Outside, Ichigo was turning blue. His Vaizard suit, disguised as Earth attire couldn't protect his face from the cold wind. He groaned as he saw what Rukia was doing, the slight warmth the blush had given disappeared as he was filled with disgust.

A frowning orange haired chappy smiled as he flew down from the window and to the door. A raven haired, smaller chappy smiled and was greeting the orange-haired chappy at the door, a paw at the mouth, saying, "ssshhh."

Ichigo slammed his hand into his face.

_Why can't that little midget just write a message like a normal person??_

Rukia was gesturing frantically towards the door, then pointing at the orange haired chappy, then at Ichigo, then at the smaller chappy, then-

"Ok, ok!!" Ichigo scowled, climbing down the roof and avoiding the bare branches of the sakura tree. "Sheesh."

Inside, Rukia rushed down the stairs as quietly as possible and sneaked towards the door. Byakuya was in the living room, and in full view of the door.

Rukia was mentally gritting her teeth and pulling her hair and doing all mental acts of frustration when she saw Byakuya. Outwardly, she showed no sign of emotion. She had learned well from observing her brother.

So how was she going to pull this off?

"What is it, Rukia?" inquired Byakuya, not even looking at her. She gulped, and suddenly her mind became numb, and her body moved on it's own.

"I heard ... something... at the door." she said, her voice cracking. She turned and walked to the door, her legs moving automatically.

"Something?" Byakuya echoed, getting up. Rukia swung open the door and freezing air rushed in. There was nothing outside. Her eyes widened. _Stupid strawberry!!_

Then she felt Ichigo brush against her shoulder as he slipped in. She forgot about the invisibility function in her panic.

She closed the door. "Oh, I guess it's nothing."

"What did you hear?" inquired Byakuya in his smooth tone.

"...S-Scrapping."

"Scrapping." he repeated incredulously. An eyebrow was raised elegantly.

"Yeah." said Rukia, her eyes wide and defiant. "I thought it might be... something. Like a puppy... or something." She moved her rigid body away from the door. "Yeah."

Ichigo watched Rukia as she tried to walk casually while being watched by her millionaire brother. Or billionaire. The alien couldn't care less. But it fascinated him why Rukia was so darn scared of him.

After all, he was just a pretty guy with silky hair and long eyelashes.

Ichigo smirked and was just about to turn away when he saw that Byakuya was looking right at him.

_What the-?_

The Vaizard broke out in cold sweat and looked down at himself.

He was still invisible.

He looked at Byakuya again, but the elegant man had already turned his gaze away to Rukia.

"So... goodnight, Nii-sama!!" she said nervously.

The raven-haired girl ran up the stairs, the alien following closely behind.

Rukia closed the door and turned around.

"Ichigo?"

The said alien appeared in front of her. He was smirking despite the horrible weird feeling in his guts Byakuya gave him.

"Did you miss me?" he taunted, sitting down on the bed.

"What?? Of course not!!" Rukia replied automatically, her face reddening.

Ichigo was still smirking, but suddenly she saw a subtle wave of disappointment cross his face.

"Where were you?" demanded Rukia, her angry voice faltering a little.

"Around." he answered, flashing her a fresh smirk.

"Uh-huh. Could you be a little more specific?" Rukia looked him over. He was wearing a bright t-shirt that clashed horribly with his hair and jeans, looking strangely like the lead character from one of her manga. He probably did something with his skull badge, she remembered him telling her once that the badge had a function like that.

That familiar scene, Ichigo sitting on her bed, smirking as though he owned the world, was extremely comforting to Rukia. She couldn't even begin to describe how much it meant to her.

So she kicked him.

"OW!!" yelled Ichigo, holding his ankle. "What was that for, stupid midget?!"

Rukia stood over him, arms folded over her chest as Ichigo bent over in pain.

"Don't you ever leave me again." Rukia snarled. "You hear me?"

Ichigo blinked at her.

"Did you hear me??" she repeated, brows furrowed even more than Ichigo's.

"Alright..." he said, standing up and looking at her. "I won't leave you again."

Rukia bit her lip when the Vaizard's gaze didn't falter. "Promise?"

Ichigo smiled and ruffled her hair. "Yeah... I promise."

She scowled. "Not that I care or anything... just, you know."

Ichigo chuckled. "I know."

He turned to his closet and opened the door. "Oh well. I'm bushed. I'm turning in for the night."

Rukia looked at him curiously, wondering where he got the human terms like 'bushed'.

"So what did you do?" she asked, another attempt to get him to spill.

Ichigo smirked. "It's a surprise."

Then he closed the door, while Rukia started yelling about how he could keep his darn secrets to himself and she didn't need to know.

He sighed. His little shinigami can be so unladylike at times.

Sometimes he even wondered if she cared for him, by the way she acts.

Ichigo laid down, and stretched his sore legs. Vaizard stamina or not, wandering around trying to find Rukia's house for hours and hours after playing a vigorous 'soccer' game can be quite exhausting.

The Vaizard frowned. He had been trying so hard to find his way back to Rukia, only to find that she didn't miss him at all.

Or maybe she didn't mean that. He sighed and closed his eyes.

Maybe in this relationship, he was the only one that felt anything. Maybe she didn't feel anything for him at all. She did say she didn't miss him. Why would she lie?

Then he felt something tickling his cheek. He opened his eyes and saw what it was.

On his pillow, there it was.

A single strand of raven hair.

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A/N: wow I can't believe I updated. A short chapter, though. Oh well. Since Bleach is like, boring right now. I still continue reading the manga sometimes, just to see whether there will be an ichiruki ending.


	11. The new kid

Shinigami-A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

Vaizard-Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

Arrancar-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

Chappy-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

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Monday morning.

Rukia changed into her uniform in the bathroom as usual, as to avoid a certain Vaizard.

She washed her face and shivered as the water was freezing cold.

Ichigo was especially happy yesterday, she recalled, strange as that may seem. He had practically bounced out of the closet smirking like anything first thing in the morning. And he maintained that mood for the rest of the day, regardless of any criticism Rukia threw his way.

And he still wouldn't tell her what he did a whole day out. He certainly wouldn't have done so just for sightseeing... and he did claim that it was a 'surprise'. Rukia frowned at her reflection.

She got ready and swung her bag over her shoulders. "Well, bye then."

Ichigo grunted, not bothering to look over the hard-bound covers of Shakespeare.

The petite girl left and went downstairs, the thought of locking the door never crossing her mind. Their relationship had grown so much.

Then as Rukia entered the living room, she was surprised by the presence of a white-headed boy who was sitting in the chair across her brother.

"T-Toushiro??"

Hitsugaya got up from his seat, not doing a lot of change to his height from his sitting position, and made towards the door.

He turned and looked at Rukia with his piercing teal-emerald orbs. "Well, you coming?"

Rukia chanced a glance at Byakuya, who disliked her friend, as his uncle Ukitake was a big business rival of his. Right now, the raven-haired man had his eyes narrowed in distaste.

"Um... good-bye, Nii-sama."

He didn't reply.

Rukia followed Hitsugaya out into the cold and confronted him when they were out on the streets, safely away from Byakuya.

"What was that, Toushiro??"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. "What was what?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Rukia said, not caring that she's going hysterical. "Why did you come, Toushiro? You know Byakuya Nii-sama doesn't like you all that much-"

"You mean he hates me." Hitsugaya said, not batting an eyelid. "Yeah, I know."

"Why didn't you wait for me at the park like always?"

"I wanted to walk you to school."

Rukia felt frustrated. "We walk to school all the time anyway, and we always meet at the park!! Not at my house, where Nii-sama is."

"I can't walk you all the way if we meet at the park."

"So what?" Rukia replied, her furrowed brows twitching. "You agreed before that meeting at the park out of Nii-sama's way is best!!"

There was a silence when her white-haired friend didn't reply.

"Toushiro."

"That was before, you baka. Things change. People change. _Circumstances _change." Toushiro glanced behind them, as if expecting someone to be there.

"What changed? " Rukia asked. "What changed that made you feel the need to walk me everywhere??"

Hitsugaya stayed silent. She assumed that he was sulking.

They walked silently and it seemed that the topic was closed. At first it irritated Rukia that Hitsugaya closed her off just like that, but then she started to get tired of the silence.

The raven-haired girl decided to break the icy silence. "You know..."

Her short friend gave no sign that he heard, but she continued to press on anyway.

"Sometimes Nii-sama scares me."

Hitsugaya turned so sharply it scared Rukia. "Why?"

"It's just that it's like he knows things that goes around behind his back. Sometimes I wonder if he's psychic." She gave a joking smile, urging Hitsugaya to smile too, but no chance. Making him joke and smile is an effort ever since Hinamori's death.

But it seemed harder recently. After the incident, she could still make him crack an occasional smile and joke, but recently... it was near to impossible. She wondered why.

"He isn't psychic, baka." Hitsugaya sighed.

Rukia sulked. _See? impossible. _She thought to herself.

"He has bodyguards stationed around you 24/7."

_Wait... WHAT??_

"HUh?" Rukia said dumbly.

Hitsugaya gave another irritated sigh at her sharpness. "I said-"

"I know what you said!!" Rukia gaped. "At least... I think I know what you said." She took a deep breath. "Bodyguards?"

Her friend cocked an eyebrow at her incredulously. " You never noticed? All this while?"

Rukia blinked.

_Bodyguards... that day Grimmjow mentioned taking out bodyguards, five of them. Are those the people that Hitsugaya is talking about? So of course Nii-sama knew that something happened when all five were knocked out._

She gave a relieved sigh when she realised that it meant that facts about Grimmjow and Ichigo, especially Ichigo, was safe.

Hitsugaya was watching her intently.

"What?"

He seem to be amused at her stupidity. "You never noticed?"

"Why would I notice?" she growled, embarrassed. "It's unbelievable that Nii-sama will hire bodyguards for me."

"Seriously. You didn't expect that you, the one and only sister of the great and powerful Kuchiki Byakuya, could be allowed to walk around exposed to all threats and thugs, did you?" Hitsugaya asked, bored.

"Well... uh... " Rukia fidgeted. "But bodyguards??"

"At least he gave you the illusion of privacy." Hitsugaya mused. "All the while when he has specially trained agents protecting you."

"How long have you known about this, Toushiro??" asked Rukia. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"There are seven today." Hitsugaya muttered, ignoring her. "All rookies filling in for the last five and not used to this job. Don't look around."

Rukia gulped. It was an awkward feeling, having people watch you.

"That man with the newspaper is one."

Rukia looked at the man sitting at the park bench, the most normal-looking guy she had ever seen.

"My guess is that they sent daily reports to your brother. "

A sudden thought struck Rukia. "You're not one too, are you?" She asked Hitsugaya.

The white-haired boy glared at her. "No. I wouldn't work for that bastard even if he paid me with all his fortune."

"Ok..." Rukia mumbled. She felt miserable and stripped of her privacy. "I still don't get how Nii-sama can do something like this..."

Hitsugaya snorted. Apparently he thought that Byakuya was very much capable of 'something like this'.

"So what happened the other day that you're not telling me?" he asked.

Rukia grimaced. Of course Hitsugaya the boy genius could put two and two together, just like Byakuya.

"I don't know what you are talking about." she lied, eventhough she knew lying didn't work against Hitsugaya.

The said young man sighed exasperatedly. "C'mon, baka. New bodyguards increased in number, the other five suddenly replaced, a new door..."

"What new door??" she snapped in her sudden panic. She thought the new door couldn't be told apart from the old one, it was so alike.

Her short friend glared at her. "The hinges were replaced, too."

Rukia avoided eye contact.

"It's as though someone forced the door open." he continued, all the while studying her reaction.

The petite girl was feeling shaky. If Hitsugaya knew, there was a high chance Byakuya knew too.

And that was dangerous.

"Have you seen Kaname Tousen lately?" Hitsugaya suddenly asked. She looked at him, surprised that he would bring up something like that.

Then she realised that Tousen was at the incident that caused the five bodyguards to be knocked down, along with the door.

_How does Toushiro figure out stuff like this??_

"Why do you want to know? You think he's a bodyguard too?" Rukia rattled, saying whatever that comes to mind, hoping to change the subject. "He did save me from that thug, remember?"

To her surprise, Hitsugaya became quiet and didn't respond, all the way to Sereitei High.

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There were endless chatter in class as usual, but Rukia noticed lots of giggling as well. Unobservant as Hitsugaya judged her to be, she managed to see the great mushy expression on Inoue Orihime's face.

_She's in love._

Rukia smirked. Lots of guys have crushes on Orihime, presumably because of her large breasts.

_I wonder who the lucky guy is._

The petite girl felt the happiness radiating from Orihime as she blushed and was teased by her best friend Tatsuki.

"Good for her." the petite girl whispered under her breath.

Soon Matsumoto-sensei, their sex ed teacher came in and broke up the chatter.

"I have a surprise for all of you!!" she sang. The students groaned as they thought it was something to do with Matsumoto's giant boobs, like always.

"A new student is entering this class!! Isn't that exciting?" She clapped her hands energitically and opened the door.

A murmur of interest went across the class as the new student came in. Everybody craned their necks for a better look. Except Tatsuki, Hitsugaya and Rukia. Tatsuki, of course, she had seen him before, and introduced her friend to him when they met in the corridor just now. Hitsugaya because he didn't care the least, and Rukia, because she had already seen the new kid multiple times and knew him better than anyone in the school.

And in this world.

But that didn't stop her from dropping her jaw.

"Yo... I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." he said lazily, scowling at everyone.

"Welcome!! Kurosaki Ichigo-chan!!" sang Matsumoto. "Everyone's very excited to meet you!!"

That didn't seem to be the case at all. Most people were already presuming he was a delinquent with his fierce frown and his brightly colored hair.

"I hope you will do your best and work hard!!" Matsumoto-sensei said cheerfully, patting him enthusiastically on the shoulder. "But you know, Ichigo-chan, colored hair is against the rules here."

Ichigo glared at the strawberry blonde. _Like you should talk..._

"It's my natural color." he said, jabbing his head with a pointed finger.

Matsumoto-sensei shrugged. "Not my job. Tell that to the disciplinarian." She turned to the class and cheered. "My job is to teach you how to make babies!!"

The class fidgeted uncomfortably in their seats.

"You can have that seat over there, Kurosaki Ichigo-chan." Matsumoto gave him a shove.

Ichigo grumbled beneath his breath and made his way towards the empty seat between Orihime and Ishida Uryuu. Orihime was blushing and stealing glances at him, while Ishida was pushing his glasses up and sewing something that was covered with pink frills. But Ichigo didn't notice any of that.

_Two seats behind my Shinigami._

He sat down.

"Ok, class!! Let's get down to business!! I'm sure you can all get better acquainted with Ichigo-chan later, so please pay attention now!!"

The eyes that were focused nervously on him riveted back to Matsumoto.

He saw Tatsuki, who was on the other side of that big-boobed girl whose name he had already forgotten, gave him a thumbs up, and he jutted his thumb out of his fist too.

He sank back into his chair, watching the back of Rukia's head and feeling pleased that he had managed to learn teen Shinigami custom so quickly. But of course he could pick up their slang here. Such a task is nothing to him. After all, he _is _of Vaizard blood.

Though getting so attached to a Shinigami made him wonder if he was part Shinigami himself.

Ichigo stared at the raven head. He wondered why she didn't turn around and show some sign of greeting. She did seem a little shocked when he came into the class, but now... it actually looks like she was ignoring him on purpose.

Ichigo felt a little hurt.

Matsumoto was rambling on about sex. Ichigo didn't pay the slightest attention. His fellow Vaizards had already told him everything there is to know about it before his mission for maturity.

He continued to stare, tapping on his desk and wondering why the petite Shinigami wouldn't acknowledge him. He didn't sacrifice keeping his alien identity safe and registered at a Shinigami school just to get ignored.

Suddenly the snowy-haired boy next to his Shinigami turned around and glared at him.

Ichigo's eyes widened, but he sent his fiercest glare back.

Icy teal emeralds clashed against the fiery amber orbs.

Neither of them blinked, and they kept up their stare contest.

Ichigo glared at the short boy, and recalled his name. Rukia talked about him sometimes.

_Hitsugaya Toushiro._

Sparks of jealousy went off inside him, but the alien didn't recognise it.

He wondered how close that boy was with his Shinigami. He had seen him once, and didn't like him.

The white-haired boy was often mentioned by Rukia, but of course Ichigo was never mentioned to other people. He suddenly felt the need to hear her talk about him towards others. Would she describe him in a good way? Or would she complain about his bad habits? He didn't care what she said, as long as she'll talk about him.

Ichigo smirked as Hitsugaya withdrew his gaze and turned back, but Ichigo's victory didn't last for long. Almost immediately right after the boy turned around, Rukia turned and look at the both of them. Ichigo's smirk was wiped right off his face. Hitsugaya was looking as though he had never took his eyes off the blackboard.

_That bastard!!_

Ichigo looked at Rukia. She was looking embarrassed.

She was embarrassed that he was here.

The Vaizard felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

He tried to give her a sign, any sign, that would make her stop that face, but Rukia had already turned away.

And Ichigo could do nothing about it.

"Um... excuse me, Kurosaki-kun."

The long-haired girl with the big breasts was calling him. Ichigo looked at her.

She blushed and avoided his eyes. "...C-could you..um... my..e-eraser..."

Looking down, the alien saw a pink eraser near his foot. He picked it up and handed it to her. "This what you're looking for?"

The girl nodded, her eyes firmly elsewhere. Ichigo wondered why was she acting so weird.

He turned his attention back to Rukia, and her protective friend sitting next to her.

Kurosaki Ichigo15xv hadn't never felt so hollow.

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The recess bell rang and everyone got to their feet. On normal days, everyone will rush to the door, but today, everyone gave a nervous look in Ichigo's direction before going out, half-curious to know more about the new student, and half-scared that he'll get mad that they went out before he did, since he was such a thug.

So Rukia and Hitsugaya was the first to get out of the class.

At once, Ichigo got to his feet and away from Tatsuki's chatter.

People thought that he was going to tell them off for disrespecting them by going out before he did, and secretly prayed for their safety.

The atmosphere in the classroom relaxed as Ichigo disappeared from the door. Almost everyone was scared of his intimidating appearance.

"Aw, don't worry, hime, you'll get to talk to him soon." Tatsuki grinned and comforted her friend, who was looking sad that Ichigo ran out before she could get a chance at conversation.

Outside, Rukia was walking towards the cafeteria with the boy genius, whose bad mood seemed to have increased. She daren't say a word, instead she pondered on Ichigo.

_Why is he doing here?? If this is the 'surprise' he was talking about I am SO not amused._

They reached the cafeteria and as usual, they split up to get drinks and sandwiches.

Rukia lined up behind Hanatarou, who she hadn't talked to in a long time.

"Hey." she whispered gently, startling the little guy. He was so jumpy, but she didn't blame him. He was the victim of many a bullying.

"Rukia-san!" Hanatarou said happily. His friend Ganju didn't like Rukia because of an old grudge, so they hardly get a chance to talk.

"So how are you?" asked Rukia, smiling at him. He beamed back but suddenly his expression turned to fear.

"What?" Rukia looked behind her and saw Ichigo.

"Yo." said Ichigo, a nervous look on his face.

"Hi." said Rukia coldly. She didn't welcome him here. What if his secret got blown?

"So..." Ichigo was apparently at a loss for words. Rukia decided to ignore him. She would deal with him when they returned home.

Hanatarou was stiff with fear. He obviously thought that Ichigo was going to be another bully in his life.

Rukia sighed and paid for the juiceboxes, then went back to her usual seat. She walked quickly, hoping to lose Ichigo, but to her surprise he didn't buy anything at all, and followed behind her.

"Stop it." she hissed, and he frowned at her.

She sat down at the table and the Vaizard sat across her, a determined look on his face.

Rukia sighed and ripped the straw from it's plastic. She struggled with the juice box, since she was too busy hoping that the people staring at the Kuchiki girl and the new deliquent student wouldn't start to spread rumors.

"Stupid... straw..." she muttered, as the red straw bend again and failed to penetrate the juice box.

Ichigo silently took the juice box from her and poked the straw through it. Then he handed it back to her.

"...uh...thanks." Rukia muttered, taking it.

He just nodded.

Then a short figure approached the table, it's murderous aura filling the whole cafeteria.

"Toushiro!" said Rukia, looking at the white-haired boy and Ichigo, then at the boy genius again.

"Is this guy disturbing you, Rukia?" asked Hitsugaya, glaring at Ichigo. She saw Ichigo glare back. Then when Vaizard looked at her, his gaze softened.

"N-no... we're just talking." Rukia replied, her tone of voice pleading Hitsugaya not to make a scene.

"Yeah, Toushiro, don't worry." Ichigo said, glaring at her friend again. Rukia gasped. Hitsugaya _hated _people calling him that. Only she was allowed.

"That's Hitsugaya to you!!" snarled the short boy, immediately flaring up. Ichigo just shrugged, seemingly glad that Hitsugaya had lost his cool. "So? Rukia calls you Toushiro."

Rukia looked around, noticing that lots of people are already starting to stare.

"A few minutes with her and you're already calling her by her first name?" Hitsugaya barked. "You know what respect is??"

Ichigo just laughed. He opened his mouth to say something, probably retorting about just how long he knew Rukia, but the petite girl jumped in between them and pushed them away from each other.

"Ok... ok, let's not make a scene." she muttered, forcing Hitsugaya to sit down.

However, she couldn't stop the boys from glaring at each other. Even after the break, and throughout the lessons, the snowy-haired boy and the Vaizard kept shooting daggers at each other.

Rukia tried her best to ignore them.

Ise-sensei couldn't, however. Putting down the chalk, she glanced irritatedly in Ichigo and Hitsugaya's direction. "Kurosaki Ichigo. I assume you already know this chapter inside out, since you feel it unnecessary to pay attention?"

Hitsugaya didn't look at Ichigo. All teachers, except maybe Hisagi-sensei, had long since abandoned all hope of embarassing the boy genius in class when he didn't pay attention.

"I don't know the whole chapter." said Ichigo, switching his glare towards Ise Nanao-sensei. The scowl deepened. "But I do remember everything you taught in this lesson."

Ise-sensei pushed up her glasses and gave a little frown herself. "Oh? Would you care to summarise the lesson in your own words?"

Ichigo stood up like he saw the other students do when they answered a question, and began.

"During the Edo Period , the administration of the country was shared by over two hundred daimyo. The Tokugawa clan, leader of the victorious eastern army in the Battle of Sekigahara, was the most powerful of them, and for fifteen generations monopolized the title of Sei-i Taishōgun_, _often shortened to shogun. With their headquarters at Edo, which is the present-day Tokyo, the Tokugawa commanded the allegiance of the other daimyo, who in turn ruled their domains with a rather high degree of autonomy. The shogunate carried out a number of significant policies. They placed the samurai class above the commoners: the agriculturists, artisans, and merchants. They enacted sumptuary laws limiting hair style, dress, and accessories. They organized commoners into groups of five, and held all responsible for the acts of each individual."

Here Ichigo paused briefly to take a breath, but Ise-sensei, whose expressions had turned from disbelief, to confusion, surprise and finally utter defeat, hurriedly told him to stop.

Her expression changed for the last time to relief as the bell rang.

"And that concludes our lesson for today." she said quickly, and scurried out.

Rukia turned to look at Ichigo, who had a confused look on his face. Apparently he thought he was being a normal student. She shook her head slightly and refused to look at him any longer.

Unknown to her, Ichigo caught that movement and felt extremely disappointed. He sat down, slumped in misery.

"Wow... Kurosaki-kun is amazing!!" he heard a whisper to his right. That brown-haired girl was talking to Tatsuki. When she saw him looking at her, her face flushed red immediately.

Ichigo looked around the class. His new classmates were already recovering from the shock that he could recite off memory. Due to Ichigo's sensitive Vaizard hearing, he could hear every word as they whispered and convinced each other that he was lying about not knowing the chapter before, and had already memorized it inside out to be so good.

The alien avoided curious stares and sulked.

He would have to act dumber in the future.

"Go on!! You can do it!!" he heard Tatsuki whisper. And then the long-haired girl's voice again.

"Um... K-Kurosaki-kun."

He took one last look at the back of Rukia's head and turned to face the girl. "What?"

"T-that was really great!!" she said, her eyes squeezed shut and her face almost to a purplish red. "Erm... I mean.. Kurosaki-kun's really amazing to recite what I-Ise-sensei taught us today, and Kurosaki-kun said that h-he remembered it without knowing it before... and... um.."

He lifted an eyebrow as he surveyed her. Why does she need to work so hard just to speak a sentence? Her face is all red with the concentration and even then she can't speak properly...

The alien then recalled his Vaizard lessons on Shinigami. A minor percentage of them were slow in learning and have problems mentally functioning.

_She must be one with mental retardation... I pity her._

Ichigo opened his mouth to encourage and sympathise with her, but she had already turned away, the color in her face receding.

He nodded. _She shouldn't face the strain if she can't work out a sentence properly._

He didn't see Ishida Uryuu eyeing him unhappily.

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After school, Inoue Orihime walked back with Tatsuki as usual.

And she couldn't stop talking about the new kid.

"Isn't Kurosaki-kun handsome?" Orihime gushed, her eyes closed, imagining Ichigo's frowning face, with clown make up, then with cat eyes. She had a wild imagination.

"Yeah, yeah." Tatsuki said, smiling and happy that her friend had found someone. "You should make a move if you want him."

Orihime stopped in her tracks and put her hands over her horrified face. "Tatsuki-chan!! You know I can't do something like that!! I almost died talking to him today."

Her tomboy friend laughed. "Oh, c'mon. It's not that hard."

Orihime shook her head violently. "Yes it is!! I turned away halfway when I was talking and now he probably thinks I'm stupid."

Tatsuki scoffed. "Really? I think he likes you."

Orihime's eyes widened to the maximum. "REALLY??"

Her friend smiled. "Yeah, after you turned away, he looked like he was gonna say something, and kinda nodded a little after staring at you s'more."

Orihime looked stunned as color rushed to her face as she blushed happily.

"S-so... should I... ask him out?" she asked, nervously playing with her hair.

Tatsuki gave a wide grin. "No normal male on this planet can resist you, hime."

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Hitsugaya and Rukia walked silently.

The petite girl was cautiously eyeing the short boy, who seemed ready to explode any second.

They slushed through the snow, Hitsugaya's wrath making it seem as though the snow melted before him.

"Alright, stop following us!!" he yelled suddenly. Rukia spun around and almost expected to see Hisagi-sensei again, like the other day, but of course it was Ichigo.

"Who's following you? I just happen to pass this way." Ichigo replied, his nose in the air.

Rukia lightly pushed Hitsugaya on their way again, as it seemed that the boy was just about to yell something unmentionable.

"Why do you dislike him so much, Toushiro?" whispered Rukia. "You should cut him some slack. He is a new student."

Hitsugaya didn't reply so she took that as an excuse to continue lecturing. "You know, you should know how it feels like to be judged by hair color. You may like him after getting to know him."

"I'm not judging him by his appearance, baka." said Hitsugaya, frowning. He turned to look at her. "I just don't like the way he looks at you."

Rukia glanced at Ichigo. He wasn't expecting her to look back and was taken back when she caught him staring at her.

She sighed and bit her lower lip.

Nothing can be done except walk. And when they return home, she will slaughter him.

They reached a crossroad.

Hitsugaya stopped and watched as Ichigo took another lane.

"What're you staring at? I told you I wasn't following you, didn't I?" Ichigo snapped irritatedly.

Hitsugaya continued to eye him suspiciously and Ichigo glared back.

"Oi. Toushiro." the alien called. The young genius growled. "It's Hitsugaya to you!!"

Ichigo ignored him. "You like Rukia?"

Rukia gasped. How could he ask something like that??

The furious expression on Hitsugaya's face was unreadable. "What's it to you??"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "Just curious."

He started to walk away. "See you tomorrow, Rukia."

Now it was her turn to stare at his back, but only in great disbelief.

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Ichigo walked on, his bag slung across his shoulder and a hand in his pocket.

He could feel Hitsugaya Toushiro's angry aura slowly fading as they went their separate ways.

The orange-haired alien pondered on the boy. Not too calmly, too.

_A short white-haired Shinigami genius._

The boy was indeed smart, too smart at his age to be a Shinigami. Ichigo wondered if he could be a Vaizard, or maybe an Arrancar, though he had never met one. But no... the boy was definitely a Shinigami.

A Shinigami bastard that was too close to _his _Rukia.

"Wait..." Ichigo muttered and shook his head in order to get that thought out of his head. _His _Rukia?

He felt warmth radiating out of his face as that thought refused to leave.

Surely he can't call her that... though it had a nice ring to it.

Suddenly Ichigo felt irritated and his signature scowl returned.

There was a man who was following him.

Ichigo could hear his footsteps, trying to have a casual rhythm as possible. He could also feel the man glancing at him from time to time.

The Vaizard took a turning, and still, the man followed. He walked on, pretending not to notice, and turned into another corner.

After three turnings, that led to the same road, Ichigo turned back and shot his best glare, which he had overused today, at the man.

"Why are you following me?" he growled. The man looked taken back and just stared in surprise at him.

"I-I'm not." he said nervously. Ichigo could tell instantly that he was lying.

"Then leave." he said, jabbing a thumb in the opposite direction. The man hesitated, but left fairly quickly, with a look back to see if Ichigo was watching.

He was, and the man disappeared.

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Rukia sat on her bed, a position Ichigo always took when he was waiting for her to return. This time their roles were reversed, though.

Byakuya won't be back till evening, and Ichigo came in through the door soon.

"So." Rukia hissed, as he entered. "Explain."

He looked defiant. "I can do whatever I want to do."

Rukia's look darkened.

"...And say whatever I want, too." Ichigo added, his voice faltering slightly.

"The surprise was that you registered at Sereitei High, didn't you?" she snarled.

Ichigo couldn't met her eyes.

_Sheesh. She glares harder than that brat Toushiro._

"S-so?" he said, putting down his bag, and revealing it as another illusion created by the multi-functional skull badge. "I can't stay in this room everyday, can I?"

"What if your secret is found out??" Rukia yelled. "Why didn't you think about that??"

"I did!!" Ichigo yelled back. "You think I'm that stupid?"

"Oh, of course not, not after you shown off your evolved intelligence right in front of the whole class today!!"

"So I made one error and you condemn me?? What about before? You wouldn't even look at me!!" His angry voice faltered into a hurt tone. "You were embarrassed that I was there."

Rukia blinked awkwardly.

Ichigo's arms were crossed, and he glared unhappily down at the chappy carpeting.

"I wasn't embarrassed of you, moron." the petite girl sighed. "I was just... what were you thinking?" she asked, trying to catch his eye. "I can take care of myself, you know."

"No you can't." the alien snapped suddenly. "Don't tell me you already forgotten about Grimmjow. The way he ...harassed you, and ...what he did."

Rukia raised her eyebrows. "All this is about Grimmjow??"

Ichigo gave her an incredulous look. "Of course it is!! I told you I wouldn't let that bastard touch you again, didn't I??"

The raven-haired girl stared at him.

"The stench when I got near him..." Ichigo wrinkled his nose and almost spat, but realised in time that he was in the room. "It was disgusting. I smelled blood lust, impatience, and lust for... well,... you." his eyes flickered in Rukia's direction.

"Wait, you can smell emotions?" Rukia asked. The alien shook his head. "Not very well. I can get only a faint idea. I only scented him because he had such strong feelings."

"...Oh."

"Hmm." Ichigo said, to fill the silence.

"Well... just don't do weird things like asking guys whether they like me or not, ok?"

He curled his upper lip. "I just don't like the brat, ok? He's too close to you for my conscience."

"I'll say it again." Rukia sighed. "Toushiro and I are just friends. And stop calling him Toushiro!!"

"You stop first, then."

She ignored him.

There was a silence for a while, before Ichigo decided to say something that will divert her attention back to him and not Toushiro.

"You know, a man stalked me today." muttered Ichigo.

The girl giggled, a rare sound in the Kuchiki household. "What? Does he like you?"

Ichigo didn't smile. "No... I think he was trying to find out where I lived. I told him to scram so that I could sneak back here."

Rukia looked surprised, then shocked. "Oh no!! I think that was a bodyguard!!"

The alien raised a brow. "A bodyguard?"

Rukia nodded vigorously. "Toushiro told me today that Nii-sama hires bodyguards to watch over me, I guess he wanted to find out who you were... since you were kinda following us."

The boy's name was unwelcome but Ichigo ignored it and pondered. "Hmm... bodyguards... make sense."

"Huh?"

"I said it made sense. Of course your brother needed you to be watched over, in case you were kidnapped and used as a threat towards his business." Ichigo scratched his chin. "I was wondering why he let you wander about so freely."

Rukia couldn't believe her ears. Was she the only one who found having bodyguards to be strange??

She decided not to pursue the subject and got out her homework for that day. But then she started wondering. "How did you manage to get down all that Ise-sensei said today? I thought you were busy glaring at Toushiro."

Ichigo shrugged. "I subconsiously heard her, I guess."

"And yet you can remember everything she said?"

"It's a Vaizard thing."

Rukia suddenly giggled again. "Do you think Toushiro's a Vaizard too? You did say once that Vaizards have unusual hair color."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, he's definitely not a Vaizard. He's just a genius Shinigami."

There was a time when Kurosaki Ichigo 15xv would be impressed with a naturally advanced Shinigami, but that seemed an eternity ago. Now he just felt annoyed at that brat for being mentioned by Rukia, of all things.

Again.

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**A/N:** wow i finished another chapter... and that didn't take me months and months... don't expect another chapter though... you might get disappointed.

No offense towards retarded ppl (and Orihime)

Woooo Orihime's gonna make a move on Ichigo!! How's Rukia gonna react?? And Byakuya? What will he do when his spies tell him about Ichigo?? And will he find out about the Grimmjow incident? And what's up with Hitsugaya??

Review plz!! It gets lonely most of the time.


	12. Misunderstandings are cruel

Thanks for the reviews and positive comments!! I hope you all will enjoy this chapter!!

Glossary thing down below:

Shinigami-A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than necessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

Vaizard-Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely necessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

Arrancar-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

Chappy-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

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"So... you know about it."

Rukia froze as Byakuya's deep voice shook the serene silence over the dinner table.

She dumbly stared at her older brother, who, after several moments, had a slight look of annoyance appear on his noble face.

"The elite team of specially trained bodyguards I hired as a form of protection."

Rukia lowered her gaze to her cream soup and poked the surface with her spoon, creating slight ripples over the thick liquid.

"T-toushiro told me... please don't be mad, Nii-sama." she stuttered, not brave enough to face Byakuya's cold eyes.

Silence grew over the Kuchiki household until Rukia thought the topic was finished with. Until...

"The new door... you aren't going to tell me how it was replaced?"

There was a muffled thud as the spoon slipped from her fingers and hit the bottom of the bowl.

"What new door?" Rukia squeaked.

Glancing, she saw her brother closed his eyes as if saying, "Why me?"

Byakuya gave a light sigh. "I searched through the whole region, but no one would admit that a door was sold and replaced here."

Rukia raised her eyebrows slightly. When Byakuya said that _he_ searched, he definitely meant that he sent others to do the investigating for him.

"The security system was damaged severely." Byakuya murmured, however, Rukia could hear every word clearly. "It seem as though the circuit was burnt and ripped apart."

That was news to her.

She remembered Byakuya saying something on Saturday about some people coming to install a new system, but she didn't really asked questions on that. Now she realized that Byakuya was extremely irritated that day despite his usual apathetic expression. If the security system could be busted so easily, how were they safe anymore?

But according to Toushiro, Byakuya seemed to be more concerned for her.

Rukia hated to admit it, but Byakuya had the right to worry. If Ichigo weren't there to save her and fight off Grimmjow, who knew what Grimmjow would have done to her? The petite girl shuddered with the thought.

She looked up at her elegant brother and saw that he was observing her and judging her reaction.

Rukia decided to act as normal as possible. Byakuya could see clearly through a person, just like Hitsugaya.

But of course, unknown to her, trying to act as normal as possible is the first sign that you have something to hide.

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"Morning." Ichigo greeted.

Rukia gingerly rubbed her eyes as she got up from bed.

The orange-haired alien was the first thing she saw when her sleepy eyes focused.

"Mmm." She got out from under the thick warm blankets and straightened her chappy pajamas. Yawning, she checked her alarm clock. It wasn't going to ring for another 30 minutes.

But she just didn't like having Ichigo up before she did. They were a little too competitive with small things like this.

"Hn. Whacha doin'?" she yawned again.

"Homework." answered Ichigo. Rukia peeped over his shoulder, and saw that it was her notebook.

"Are you copying me?" asked Rukia, frowning. Ichigo gave a bark that could very well be a laugh. "No, you midget. I'm _correcting_ you."

He then erased another line and wrote, in Rukia's own handwriting, the correct answer.

Rukia flushed. "I don't need your help, carrot top!! Gimme that!!" she snatched the notebook away from him and held it close to her. Ichigo scowled.

"I'm trying to help you and that's what I get?" he grumbled. "Give that back, it's only half done."

"No way!!" She tried to hold it out of Ichigo's reach, but with lightning speed, his arm shot out and in an instant, it was already back on the desk.

His frown deepened as the little Shinigami yelled and struggled to get it back. Didn't she know that he was doing her a favour?

Ichigo killed all her attempts at getting back the notebook and eventually she gave up, tired out.

He smirked at her. "Quitting on your morning exercises already?"

She ignored that remark. "Don't do too many corrections. The teachers will suspect something since I'm usually not that great."

"Your Toushiro does correction for you all the time and you don't complain." Ichigo muttered, his voice low enough for Rukia not to hear. He skipped a mistake and corrected a spelling error. Hopefully with his help, Rukia won't need _Toushiro_ to do anything in the future.

He had looked through all her textbooks yesterday, absorbing every detail possible. The petite girl hadn't notice at all when he snuck her books into the closet to study into the night.

Even with his Vaizard capability to absorb knowledge with insane speed, it was already past dawn when he finished the last book.

The alien rubbed his eyes with the first chance he got when Rukia looked away, he was kind of tired, even if he wouldn't admit it.

The information the Shinigami books contained was very basic and incorrect from the Vaizard's point of view. It was confirmed that what his species told him was true, the Shinigamis were behind in science and intellect.

_But all that they told me wasn't perfectly true..._

He stole a look at Rukia, who was pouting at the ceiling.

Ichigo unwillingly gave a smile. Rukia's scrawly writing stared back at him.

"So... Ichigo." Rukia said suddenly.

"What?"

The raven-haired girl looked at him, a worried expression on her face. "Nii-sama hadn't said anything about you."

The alien didn't glance up from her homework. "...That's good, right?" he mumbled, not paying the slightest attention at all.

"No it isn't!! If Byakuya Nii-sama doesn't say something it doesn't mean he doesn't know about it!"

"So?"

Rukia gave a disgusted sigh. "Just don't follow me and Toushiro so much today."

That got his attention.

"Why not?" he spun around in his seat and looked directly at her. "I'm not doing anything wrong and it's not like you got something to hide, have you?!"

"You may not know this, but stalking people is not normal." replied Rukia sarcastically, crossing her arms. "Like you said, the bodyguard probably wanted to find out where you lived and from there, your activities and family background. Nii-sama does things like that."

Knowing the guy, Ichigo didn't find that hard to believe.

"If you follow me anymore, that is." Rukia continued. "If you don't, I guess they won't bother you anymore. It's for the best."

Ichigo raised a furrowed brow. "Best for you?"

"Best for everyone." Rukia said firmly, her eyes narrowing.

"Pfft. I can take on all your bodyguards AND your brother." Ichigo said, although he wasn't quite sure about the last bit.

"Do you want to get caught??" asked Rukia, glaring at him fiercely. He avoided her eyes so that he won't falter. "I won't get caught, don't you worry."

"Oh yeah?"

He felt uncomfortable with her intense stare. "Yes. I'm a Vaizard, aren't I? Outsmarting a bunch of Shinigami is no problem."

"You almost blew your secret yesterday in Ise-sensei's class."

Ichigo turned back to the homework. "That's the last mistake I'm gonna make. I had just confirmed the level of your education and extent of memory, and that day, playing Sock-ker with that mannish classmate of yours had taught me much to know about the way you teenagers talk and behave. Impressive, no?"

Rukia pondered on this. His 'earth slang' _had _improved alot lately.

"Just..." she sighed. "Just be careful."

Ichigo perked up. "Why so worried? You concerned about me?"

"Like I'd be concerned about you!!" yelled Rukia suddenly, flinging a pillow at him. Ichigo was so disappointed he didn't even bother to catch it. The chappy-printed pillow hit him smack on the face, blocking his view and making him miss the red tinge on Rukia's face.

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Substitute Shinigami.

That's what the Vaizards call themselves when they disguise themselves as Shinigamis, however rare that happened.

He saw Byakuya leave the house, just after Rukia and her bratty friend. The elegant man gracefully walked out on the street and Ichigo saw him glance in Rukia's direction. By now she should be at the crossroad and quite far down the lane.

Byakuya turned in the opposite direction and walked away, every step light and hardly making a print in the snow.

Ichigo pressed a button on his badge and immediately he looked like your average high school student, save for the orange hair. Well, to be exact, he looked like your average high school delinquent.

But he didn't care. _Whatever happens, the hair color stays._

He toggled the invisibility function on the watch given by his mother. "Stealth is awesome!!" he muttered to himself, practicing his Shinigami teen slang. Of course, given the choice, he would never say something so stupid.

Ichigo gave Byakuya two minutes before dashing downstairs, Vaizard grace enabling him to leave no clue whatsoever that he was there, not even a smudge from his hand.

He went out through the back door, after seeing that there was absolutely no one outside to make a fuss over a door opening and closing by itself.

The Vaizard took a breath and suddenly, with feline grace, leaped over the yard and past the fence.

He landed lightly on his feet.

That jump was nothing compared to what the other Vaizards could do. Ichigo pushed away the disappointment that he always felt when compared to the others and went on his way, taking care to cover his footprints in the mushy snow.

He went in the opposite direction and started to let his footprints show at the bus stop. Then he went back and turned into the row of houses where the Kuchiki's house was.

Ichigo walked on, knowing that he will be able to reach school in time. Then when he neared Rukia's house, a man from the opposite house came out to take out the trash.

Ichigo glanced at him, but nothing more. He hadn't seen anyone on the street yet, since most students lived in the area in the opposite direction, and it was too early for people to be out, except some joggers and housewives, and the park and market weren't around here.

The raven-haired man slowly gazed at him through his emerald eyes, his pale complexion bringing out the intensity of the emeralds. Ichigo walked past him, not caring to give a second look.

Then, the second time that it happened since he landed on this planet, a strong stench of emotions overtook his senses.

Ichigo's amber eyes widened in surprise. The man, who had a thin frame that looked far from fragile, continued to stare at him expressionlessly.

The Vaizard stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at the man. He couldn't describe the stench like he did with Grimmjow's, but it made him froze up on the inside.

The man gave him a small nod before going back into his house. Ichigo stared after him, confusion boiling inside him along with the icy feeling that made him break out in cold sweat.

The Vaizard decided to ask Rukia about her neighbour when he got the chance. For now, he pushed the bad feeling he had about the man to the back of his head and continued on his way.

The rest of his journey was uneventful. He passed the park, where there were people doing their morning exercise.

People stared at him and his bright orange hair, but he ignored them. After all, they were just mindless Shinigami.

The streets became filled with students as he neared Sereitei High.

Then he noticed people glancing into a backstreet alley before hurrying away.

Out of curiosity, the Vaizard peeked into the alley himself. To his surprise, there were five delinquents who were beating a single student with sticks.

Baseball bats, Ichigo corrected himself, recalling the object in a book he read.

But he didn't dwell on that. Almost immediately after seeing the sight, the Vaizard rushed into the alley and slammed his fist across a thug's face.

The guy didn't know what hit him. The impact forced him across his fellow bullies and without any knowledge of what happened, he was unconscious, a pathetic sight upon the dirt.

The others stared at Ichigo, who was outraged at this uncivilised scene of bullying. He didn't actually thought he would witness this kind of disgusting violence, especially after meeting Rukia, which changed his view on Shinigami.

Now he realised what a special Shinigami she was, compared to these _animals_.

"Hey, what's your problem, dude??" a punk with blue hair screamed hysterically at him. "You looking for a fight, budging in on our business??"

The other thugs were more aware of the damage done to their friend. They gritted their teeth and looked at Ichigo with scared yet defensive expressions.

The Vaizard looked at them, bored, yet his eyes burned with fury. His message was clear._ Just give me a reason to, and I'll kill you all._

The student that was getting hit by the bats looked up through his dark curls that covered his eyes. Ichigo observed him, and saw that he didn't look hurt at all. In fact, the student had such a strong build, he could easily take on all five of the gangsters. The alien felt confusion as he wondered why the huge student didn't fight back.

"C'mon, guys!!" The first thug yelled. "Let's show this new guy his place!!"

The others hesitated, but gripped their baseball bats tighter as they charged at the Ichigo. He stood his ground, just waiting for them to come meet their doom.

But suddenly, just as they raised their weapons and prepared to strike, Ichigo saw the giant of a student rushed in front of him and shielded him. The alien's eyes widened in surprise as the young man stayed silent even as the thugs repeatedly smashed the wood onto his back.

"Hey... get out of the way." Ichigo frowned, trying to move around the silent giant, but he quickly stepped into his way, blocking Ichigo from harm.

The Vaizard could do nothing without blowing his secret. He was annoyed at the giant for defending him/the thugs.

Soon the thugs were exhausted and they show this by spitting on the ground in disgust and walked away.

Only when they disappeared from sight did the giant let Ichigo go.

"Dude..." Ichigo said, staring at a nasty-looking splinter that was stuck in the giant's back. The guy didn't even seem to notice it.

"Are you hurt?" a soft, deep voice said. It was so gentle, it took moments before Ichigo realized it came from the huge giant.

"No." Ichigo replied shortly. He looked uncomfortable. "Why didn't you fight back?? You could have easily fought those losers."

The gentle giant shook his head. "...Fighting... isn't good."

The Vaizard stared at him. Then, feeling unwilling respect for the guy, he stuck out his hand while frowning at the brick wall. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

The huge student took it, but before he could introduce himself, Ichigo had already read off his student badge. "Chad, is it?"

"It's Sado..."

"Alright. Let's get to class, then." Ichigo said, swinging his bag over his shoulder and sticking the other hand in his pocket. "We're running late."

"Hn."

"You're in my class, aren't you, Chad?"

"It's Sado..."

"Whatever. Say, you good friends with that Kuchiki Rukia?"

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Rukia tapped her pencil against the desk and looked at the door anxiously.

Ichigo hadn't appeared yet. And there was no reason for him to miss first period.

_What if something bad happened to him?_

As the petite girl waited for any sign of orange to appear at the door, she had no idea that another girl had Kurosaki-kun in her thoughts as well.

"Tatsuki-chan... why do you think Kurosaki-kun's late?"

The raven-haired tomboy just shrugged.

Seeing her reply, Orihime sighed sadly and gazed at his empty seat.

First period was Hisagi Shuuhei's class.

The punkish man looked at Kuchiki Rukia, noticing that she was extremely edgy and kept glancing at the door.

Hisagi raised a brow.

The petite girl didn't notice her teacher staring at her, but Hitsugaya did. The white-haired prodigy frowned at the man, and Hisagi withdrew his gaze.

Then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." muttered Hisagi, not turning away from the chalkboard.

"Sorry we're late." a gruff voice said. "We had to go to the nurse's office."

The teacher looked up and saw a outrageous color of hair on a violent-looking student.

Hisagi felt taken aback. He had never seen this delinquent before.

Then he recalled Ise Nanao mentioning something about a new student arriving yesterday. Hisagi was home sick with the flu, so he hadn't met the new kid until now.

"Uh... ok, take your seats."

He watched as the student with the orange hair made his way to his seat, and how the other students avoided eye contact, and shrank away when he passed them.

_Clearly he had made his aggressive behaviour known, for everyone to be scared of him like that._

The huge student Sado, who had followed the bright-haired student in, had some bandages on him. Hisagi shook his head. Sado was always found in a fight. It only confirmed his belief that the new student was a delinquent if they were in a fight together.

Suddenly he spotted Kuchiki Rukia looking at the new kid with a look of great relief on her pale face.

Hisagi's eyes widened as he saw the new student gave a small smile and a nod back.

It was obvious what their relationship was. Hisagi Shuuhei wasn't an idiot. He could put two and two together.

_That delinquent is a drug dealer and Kuchiki Rukia is getting drugs from him!!_

He had always knew the petite girl was a drug addict. The way she was too thin and short, plus her bulging eyes. He was just trying to catch Hitsugaya in the act as well.

Hisagi went back to teaching. However, his heart beat didn't calm down.

The very day after he realized that the odd pair of the prodigy and the Kuchiki heiress were actually taking drugs, he had researched their school records extensively, all while trying to keep the whole thing secret.

The reason for his great dedication for this was probably his great irritation for Hitsugaya, who gave him endless humiliation in front of the whole class. But now, Hisagi actually felt deflated with every glance at Kuchiki Rukia and the suspected drug dealer.

If he exposed their secret, his friend Renji would be greatly hurt.

Hisagi gave a sigh and continued the lesson, his mind far from it.

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Recess.

Ichigo watched as Rukia and that white-haired brat sat down at the same table as they did yesterday, sandwiches in their hands.

Of course he would have strutted over and joined them, if only he wasn't being dragged in the opposite direction.

"C'mon!! I want you to try Orihime's red bean paste and french toast soup." Tatsuki said firmly, her grip on his arm like iron.

Ichigo was forced to sit down beside the long-haired girl who already sat next to him in class. Tatsuki grinned at them from across the table, which was piled with strange concoctions, which Tatsuki kept insisting that he should try.

"I'm not hungry." Ichigo said flatly, eyeing a huge sandwich which was stuffed with anchovies, watermelon, and something that looked like intestines.

"Just a bite won't hurt!!" urged the raven-haired tomboy, waving a suspicious-looking roll under his nose. The alien winced on the inside, and tried to resist the urge to puke.

Luckily he spotted his new friend Chad entering the cafeteria.

"Yo!! Chad!!" he waved, signalling the gentle giant over. "Sit with us!!"

Tatsuki's side had books and empty lunchboxes that was used to pack the strange food, so Ichigo tried to make space for Chad on their side of the bench.

He accidentally bumped against the long-haired girl. "Oops, sorry..." he looked at the top of the lunchbox in front of her.

_This lunchbox belongs to: Inoue Orihime_

"...Inoue." he finished, then turned away.

He didn't see Orihime blushed a painful crimson when he bumped against her and said her name.

Tatsuki did, however, and grinned.

Sado sat down, his weight shaking the bench a little.

"Orihime made all of these, you know!!" Tatsuki said, gesturing towards all the food on the table. "She's a really talented cook, though her taste is really ...refined, so normal people may not enjoy her cooking."

She paused, and looked at Ichigo, waiting for a reaction. The alien didn't get it at all, and was thinking of a way to get to Rukia.

"Isn't that impressive??" she jabbed him sharply, and Ichigo recoiled. "Wha-?? Yeah... sure. Very impressive." he said hastily. Tatsuki sat back, apparently satisfied.

_What's her problem?_

Ichigo frowned, and and remained silent. The girl, Inoue, and Chad was equally quiet while eating.

The Vaizard refused to take a bite, though, and pretended to listen to Tatsuki's rambling while she ate none of the disgusting food she tried so hard to promote and ate a tuna sandwich she brought from home instead. With every chance he got, Ichigo took a glance at the two midgets at the table near the door.

The raven-haired midget was talking, and occasionally she took a sip from her juice box. The shorter midget wasn't paying attention, apparently, but Ichigo knew he was listening to every word.

The alien wished he could hear what she was saying. The cafeteria was so full with chatter he couldn't catch more than a few words at a time.

"...So you coming??" asked Tatsuki.

"Hm?" Ichigo blinked at her, and she stared back expectantly.

"Er... yeah, sure, I'll come." he said uncertainly. "Where, again?"

The dark-haired tomboy frowned. "The soccer field. After school."

"Oh." Ichigo said. He tried not to let his boredom show on his face.

He seriously did not see the point of kicking a black and white ball around. The only reason he joined them in a game that day was to learn their teenage culture to prepare himself for school. Now that he knew more than enough, he didn't see why he shouldn't turn down the offer. After all, it only takes away the time he could be spending with Rukia.

"Wanna join, too?" Tatsuki was asking Chad. He lightly shook his head, and mumbled something that sounded like, "Band practice."

"You know, I think I can't make it." Ichigo said flatly. Tatsuki gave him a look of surprise. "What? Why?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I may have an appointment. I dunno."

The raven-haired girl stared at him for a moment before breaking out into a grin again. "You said you never played soccer before, so you may not know this, but girls LOVE athletic guys. Especially athletic guys who play soccer."

Ichigo's heart skip a beat. "Yeah?"

"Suuure." Tatsuki said, waving a hand. "It's like, definite. If you play with our team this afternoon, everybody will get to see how great you are. Plus, our team would definitely win with you on it."

Ichigo looked at Rukia. The raven-haired girl had already finished eating and she and 'Toushiro' was getting up from the table.

Her violet eyes met his gaze.

Ichigo turned back to the table, feeling hot of all the sudden. He wondered why the temperature in the cafeteria could suddenly change like that.

"... and you'll meet lots of people that you didn't meet that day." Tatsuki was saying. "Like Orihime, she's playing this time too." She gestured towards the red-faced girl.

"Say no more, I'll play." said Ichigo breathlessly. His mind was still a little numb.

"Good!! Then it's settled." Tatsuki said, grinning like anything. She suddenly looked doubtful. "Wait... I've karate right after... oh well. It won't hurt to be a little late."

Ichigo numbly realised that the food on the table had gone and the crumbs were all leading towards Inoue. But nothing really registered. His thoughts were still around a certain petite Shinigami.

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"Did you see the look on his face??" Tatsuki said, making a victorious gesture in the air. "He obviously likes you, hime!!"

The long-haired girl blushed. "I- I didn't see... you really think so??"

Tatsuki nodded. "The way he blushed when I said you'll be there, and playing a game just to impress you... he clearly accepted because he wanted to be around you."

Orihime looked happy but nervous. "...Kurosaki-kun didn't say much today..."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. "That's because he's embarassed and shy, sitting next to the most gorgeous girl in school!!"

Her friend blushed a deeper crimson. "Don't say that, Tatsuki-chan!! Actually I couldn't even say anything... I was so nervous... B-But it would be nice if it's the truth... he's so manly and handsome..." she gushed. "And he has such a nice smell too..."

Behind them, Hitsugaya and Rukia were looking out of the window. They took the time before recess was over to watch the snow-covered scenery.

The petite girl overheard Orihime gushing and secretly smiled. It was nice to have someone to admire and love.

Rukia gave a light chuckle. The guy Orihime was crushing on is still a mystery. Oh well, Rukia thought, she would see who is it when he starts carrying Orihime's bag to and fro from school. After all, Orihime definitely will get him, seeing how popular she is among the guys. It was only a matter of time before he became her official boyfriend.

"It hasn't snowed in a long time, Toushiro." Rukia said, observing the dirty slush.

He didn't reply.

The bell rang, signalling recess to be over. The corridors were near empty, with most people already back in class.

Without a word, the two walked back to class.

"Yo. Rukia."

The raven-haired girl felt her friend beside her stiffen and she looked around for the source of the familiar voice. Ichigo was greeting her, having just exited the library. A great look of confidence was displayed across his face.

"Hello... Ichigo." Rukia replied. She saw, from the corner of her eye, Hitsugaya looking at her incredulously. After all, he didn't know about their relationship.

Ichigo was looking smug. Apparently he was in a happy mood.

"So... I'll be playing soccer after school." Ichigo said lightly, a hand casually in his pockets and the other gripping newly borrowed Shakespeare books. "Interested in coming to watch?"

Rukia narrowed her eyes. Whether Hitsugaya was watching or not, all familiarity returned when she talked to him. "You're playing soccer in this weather?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Whether it's boiling or freezing, weather is nothing to the dedicated athlete."

The petite girl controlled her overwhelming urge to laugh.

"It's just a friendly game... between us and a few others. Nothing serious." the alien said, with the air of a braggart.

"If that's so, why should I come to watch?" Rukia scoffed.

Ichigo smirked. "To watch me and my great soccer skills, of course."

"Watching old people cross roads are a better use of time than watching you!!" spat Hitsugaya suddenly with all sarcasm. Apparently he couldn't stand staying quiet any longer.

Irritated, Ichigo glared at the short genius. Hitsugaya glared back.

"Let's just go back to class." Rukia said, sighing. She urged them both to stop glaring, and the three of them walked back together, the two young man on either side of her shooting occasional glares at each other.

Unknown to them all, Hisagi Shuuhei saw this strange sight as he passed by.

_The three of them seem to already know each other... but of course._

Shaking his head, the punkish-looking man continued to the teacher's lounge, determined to put this to a stop. Revenge towards Hitsugaya Toushiro meant nothing now.

Hisagi's decision was final. He was going straight to Renji and tell him everything, especially about that orange-haired kid.

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**A/N: I decided to put the soccer match in the next chapter. If it's here, this chapter would be much too long.**

**Renji's going to enter the picture!! What's he gonna say about Ichigo?? Heehee**


	13. The Game of Soccer and Love

I love Hitsugaya's and Rukia's friendship!! Both their zanpakutou are of ice and snow elements so they should get along really well.

Shinigami-A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than necessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

Vaizard-Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely necessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

Arrancar-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

Chappy-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

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The liquor shop was warm, a great contrast from the weather out on the streets.

Hisagi hung his coat and took his usual place at the seat near the counter.

"I'll be right with you!!" Kira Izuru called from inside the stockroom.

"Take your time." Hisagi told him. "It's just me."

His friend, the young owner of the local liquor store, stuck his blonde head out. "Oh, it's you, Hisagi-kun. You want something to drink?"

"No thanks." he muttered. "No... wait. Do you have something strong opened?"

Kira looked surprised. "Sure, of course I do."

"Good... good. A sip will do."

The blonde man observed his tattooed friend curiously as he poured him a small glass of gin.

"Thanks." he said, taking it and downing it in one gulp. "I need that for later."

Kira frowned tenderly. "You are in a very bad mood today, Hisagi-kun."

"Yeah." Hisagi admitted, grinning half-heartedly. "I am."

Kira polished a bottle of whiskey as he watched his friend brood. "...May I ask why?"

"... I asked Renji to come over."

Kira raised his brows. "So what?"

"...You know Kuchiki Rukia?" Hisagi asked, his eyes on the empty crystal glass, which had every corner of the shop reflected in it, including the owner's unsettled reaction.

"What about her? You mentioned that she had a drug problem... though technically, it's not proven yet."

The dark-haired man sighed. "I heard her talking about it, ok?? And now there's... this new kid. A delinquent. He was caught in a fight in just the second day of school.

"I asked the nurse this time, and yes, it's confirmed he and another student were in a fight." he added, as Kira opened his mouth, probably to say something to suggest that in some way, Hisagi had misunderstood.

"The kid's got a really shocking color of hair." muttered Hisagi, gesturing violently around his scalp. "And all the students are terrified of him."

"Oh dear." Kira sighed emphatically. Then he looked up from the bottle he had been shining. "But, Hisagi-kun, remembered when we were in Sereitei High, and you and Renji-kun were always misunderstood and feared for your scary looks?"

Hisagi scoffed. "This is different. I saw it with my own eyes. And by the way, Renji and I were sorta like thugs... you just denied the fact even when we beat up people."

Kira smiled. "Ah, but you only beat up people when they make fun of your friends, underneath, you were really a responsible and good student, Hisagi-kun."

The tattoed man responded with a grunt, still convinced that Ichigo was a drug dealer, and Rukia and Hitsugaya were his clients.

_Of course, with their skinny frames and bulging eyes, how could they not be on drugs?_

Hisagi remained stubborn and refused to answer to Kira's reminiscent rant about when they were still ignorant kids, and when Hinamori was still alive.

Thinking of the peach girl was painful, and disrupted his motive for telling Renji about Kuchiki Rukia. He was still angry at Hitsugaya for not being sad at Hinamori's death at all. But Hisagi is trying to forget about the boy and now... all he wants is to help Renji, and to do so, he would have to tell him about the drug dealer.

The bell at the door jingled lightly as a tall man entered, a pleasant, unsuspecting smile on his heavily tattooed face.

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"Where are you heading?"

"Hn?" Rukia looked back at Hitsugaya, who was watching her with piercing emeralds.

"Where do you think you're going?" he repeated, his expression unreadable as always.

"Home. Duh." she said, jabbing her thumb in that direction.

Hitsugaya smirked grudgingly. "Soccer field's that way."

Surprise overtook Rukia. "Y-you want to go see Ichigo play?"

"As if you don't?"

The petite girl shuffled her feet. "No..."

"Liar." Hitsugaya said immediately, without any sign of doubt.

Rukia flushed. "I'm not interested in seeing that jerk play!!"

Her short friend laughed. "Yeah right. You can't fool me, baka."

"I'm serious!!"

"Why do you call him by his first name?" asked Hitsugaya suddenly. She was taken aback by the sudden question. "I... dunno. He calls me by my first name, doesn't he?"

Hitsugaya didn't seem to hear her. "It's as if you two had known each other for a long time..." he mused, ignoring Rukia's protests. "Remember? When we met, you kept calling me Hitsugaya-kun, even though Hinamori endlessly tried to persuade you to call me 'Shiro-chan', like she did."

Rukia's brows shot up as she stared, wide-eyed, at the young prodigy in front of her.

_He mentioned Hinamori. _

He never talked about her... so why now?

And he said it so casually, too. As if he had never gave her a second thought since her death.

But that was the greatest misconception anyone could ever make.

Rukia knew him too well to be fooled by his uncaring tone.

"Toushiro..." she whispered, uncertain how to act, yet feeling a great emptiness in her just by looking at him.

"You started calling me by my first name only when you first did it by mistake." he was talking with increasing speed now, with the air of a person who realized he said something wrong and trying to cover for it.

"Hilarious, really, the look on your face when you realized what you said.", said Hitsugaya grimly, not looking amused at all.

"Toushiro... please." pleaded Rukia, not understanding why she felt so desperate. She just wanted him to stop hurting.

The white-haired genius stopped talking at once, and allowed her to miserably gaze at him , without the slightest idea what to say and how to talk to him.

How should she start? She didn't even know how Hinamori died. There were rumours, and Hitsugaya was said to have witness her death, but he refused to tell anyone, not even his best friend.

The pained look on Rukia's face must have affected Hitsugaya, because he turned away and avoided her eyes.

"...Let's just go." Hitsugaya mumbled, his scowl deepening with what seemed like embarassment.

Rukia followed him quietly, strongly hating herself for not being able to say anything.

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"Keep your eyes on the ball, Ichigo!!" shouted Tatsuki for the fifth time that day.

Ichigo turned around briefly to see the ball getting stolen.

He looked blankly ahead as Tatsuki raged at him after the opponent scored another goal.

"What on earth are you daydreaming for?! We are two points behind!! We should be pummeling these guys!!" She shrieked, outraged. Ichigo didn't pay attention. He kept his eyes on the field, but with every chance he got, he screened the audience around the field.

No Kuchiki Rukia.

Ichigo turned back to the game, disappointed. Two minutes later after Tatsuki scored, when all attention was on her, the alien's eyes were drawn back to the crowd. Of course he didn't want to look as if he was waiting for her...

There was still no sign of her and Ichigo scowled, wondering why she wasn't attracted to his athletic self.

Then she appeared.

He didn't see her at first, but he just had a feeling.

A feeling that told him she was there. He looked up, and their eyes met.

Ichigo smirked, his ego immediately inflated to the point of near bursting. Rukia grimaced at his cocky attitude and turned away at once, but of course it was too late.

"Oi. Tatsuki."

The tomboyish girl spun around. "What?"

"Give me the ball." Ichigo said, confidently.

"What?" she said, uncertainly.

"I won't blank out, I promise."

The sudden change of attitude made her want to trust him.

"Well...ok..." she muttered.

The referee, a random kid who was just passing by, blew his whistle and Ichigo charged forward with renewed energy.

He was careful to stay within earthly limitations of agility, but even then, he overdid it a little.

Desperate to show off, the Vaizard left everyone in his dust, avoiding every opponent and shooting across the field.

He was dimly aware of Tatsuki cheering for him as he neared the goal line and, within a second, the ball was in the net, the goalie still unsure of what happened.

There was a moment's silence as the scene registered, and then explosions of cheering. Ichigo looked around at his team members, all who were cheering, along with that ... retarded girl who was now red in the face with the strain of trying to cheer. Tatsuki was yelling something about how she knew he had it in him all along and so on.

Ichigo smirked with satisfaction at the impressed faces of the audience, and avoided looking at Rukia on purpose.

The petite girl was shocked. She was amazed at his agility and reflexes, but irritated that he would use it to show off.

Rukia saw that Hitsugaya's eyes had widened at Ichigo's display of Vaizard superiority. To him Ichigo must seem like another genius, just like Toushiro... thought Rukia, observing the young boy. She wondered how that must feel, seeing that people had always said that a prodigy like Hitsugaya only come once every few centuries...

She watched as Ichigo zig-zagged across the field in a matter of seconds and scored another goal. The crowd cheered again, and more people gathered to see what the commotion was all about.

Ichigo was strutting about, a huge smirk plastered on his face, and Rukia scowled at his cockiness.

Suddenly the Vaizard casually lifted his head and looked directly at her.

She gasped and turned away immediately, annoyed that he caught her staring at him. And he had the nerve to smirk about it, too.

It seemed that she wasn't the only one who was irritated at him. When Ichigo gazed up at Rukia, she heard Hitsugaya emit a low growl.

They watched the match in silence, Rukia noticing that the scowl on the genius's face next to her was deepening with each passing minute.

Down at the field, the opponents were casting scared looks at Ichigo. Even they could see that Ichigo had turned serious, thus, eliminating all possibilities of them winning.

Plus, his bright orange hair was extremely intimidating.

"Remember the bet!!" Tatsuki jeered at them, "Losers carry the winners home!!"

Ichigo raised a brow. He wasn't informed of any bet. It sounded stupid but he was sure he could get out of it.

"Um... my mom just called me." a guy said, obviously lying. "It's urgent."

"What??" Tatsuki yelled, hands on hips. "You can tell your mom that I-"

"Ok, knew you'd understand!!" he grabbed his bag and ran off. "Bye!!"

"COWARD!!" shrieked Tatsuki, shaking her fist in his direction.

"Oh great, now we're short of one member." grumbled a girl on the opposite team unhappily.

Ichigo stared, unamused, as they discussed whether the match should be forfeited. It had nothing to do with him, really. He was just waiting for another chance to display his amazing abilities.

"I'll play."

Those words rang clear despite the chatter on the field. Everyone stopped talking at once, and looked in the direction of the voice, which belonged to a white-haired boy.

Hitsugaya shook off his red scarf and held it towards Rukia. She took it without a word, surprised at his volunteering to fill in. Hitsugaya hated mingling around with the other kids.

"Why would he want to play?" she thought, blankly, as she watched him leave.

Ichigo glared at him as he came down onto the field, and the boy stared back with his sharp teal-emeralds.

"Yo. Toushiro." the Vaizard greeted coolly, looking down at the short genius.

"That's _Hitsugaya_ to you," he growled, glaring up at the alien who was almost double his height.

"I dunno..." a girl from Ichigo's opponent team was saying. "He's kinda a shrimp, ain't he?"

Ichigo saw Hitsugaya recoil with annoyance.

"Well," the short prodigy said sharply, ignoring the girl. "Just see if you can keep up."

Ichigo gave a nasty laugh. "That's my line."

From where she stood, Rukia watched the two closest people to her in the world glower at each other, the most stubborn look on their faces.

The referee blew on his whistle and Ichigo sped off with the ball.

Easily dodging his opponents, the alien ran swiftly up the field. To the Vaizard, it took less strain than mere breathing.

There was no sign of Toushiro. Perhaps he had been left behind.

When he neared the goal line, the goalie braced himself and looked nervous. Ichigo smirked, and drew back his right foot.

There was a flash of white and the soccer ball was gone. The Vaizard stopped himself from an embarrassing kick into the air just in time, and saw that Hitsugaya was already moving with the ball in the opposite direction.

For a moment he was worried, but then Ichigo reminded himself that he could catch up to Hitsugaya without breaking a sweat. The boy's legs were too short and weak in comparison to his seasoned Vaizard muscles.

Then his eyes widened in disbelief as the ball, now a blurred gray, flew over every player's head and landed near the goal line at the opposite side of the field.

"Hn." the short genius in front of him said, flexing the thin leg that shot the ball across the field. He looked back at Ichigo, a sly smile on his face.

Ichigo gaped at him.

At the other side of the field, an opponent recovered from his shock and kicked the ball into the net, after a feeble attempt to save it by the goalie.

Getting over their disbelief that they are now tied, Hitsugaya's side cheered happily.

"Count yourself lucky." Ichigo muttered to Hitsugaya after his team had stopped shaking his hand and clapping him on the back.

The boy genius smirked.

Up where she stood, Rukia watched Ichigo and Hitsugaya battle it out.

Ichigo had clearly underestimated Hitsugaya, and he paid dearly for his ignorance when the white-haired kid stole the ball from him. But that won't happen again.

The soccer match became a one-on-one battle instead, as Ichigo and Hitsugaya fought furiously against each other, ignoring other player's cries of "Over here!!", and "Pass to me!"

"Wow..." Tatsuki muttered to Orihime. "That Hitsugaya kid's really good. I never knew."

Hitsugaya was smaller in size and thus more agile, always stealing the ball and blocking Ichigo from getting it.

The thought of crushing his small frame crossed Ichigo's mind more than once.

The Vaizard was way faster at moving with the ball at long distances, but he couldn't do anything if the brat kicked it far away to the other side, where a member of his team was, waiting.

The ball was snatched to and fro between the orange-haired alien and the short genius. The two teams are still at a tie, Hitsugaya's team having failed shots at the goal after he passed to them from the other side of the field.

Everytime Ichigo tried to score a point, the ball would be stolen from him. This was extremely frustrating.

Now he was running with the ball, at the same time keeping a close eye on Hitsugaya, who was glued to his side, his sharp eyes never leaving the ball.

Ichigo saw the white-haired genius's body slightly turn, and knew he was going to seize the ball. The alien let out a burst of speed, and he left Hitsugaya behind.

To Ichigo's surprise, Hitsugaya appeared by his side, then with a swift movement, the ball was rolling in the opposite direction.

_What?? Then just now... he was just fienting??_

Impressed that a Shinigami could realize that he would react at such a subtle change, yet hating that Shinigami for making him feel impressed, Ichigo raced after the boy and caught up with ease.

He saw the short genius lift his foot back to kick the ball yards away again, and this time, Ichigo knew it wasn't pretense.

The Vaizard lurched forward and stepped down on the ball just as Hitsugaya kicked it.

He turned and led the ball away, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the white-haired Shinigami following him, a look of great annoyance on his face.

Smirking, Ichigo moved forward and kicked the ball towards the net, knowing that his body, so much taller and broader than the Shinigami's, would block his way into stealing the ball.

"Woooooo!!" cheered Tatsuki, as the ball whizzed through the goalee's outstretched hands.

"We're one point ahead and there's only two minutes left!!" she said happily, whacking Ichigo in the back. He flinched at the violent gesture.

"Y-you were awesome, Kurosaki-kun..!!" said Inoue shyly, her hands clasped together.

"Oh," Ichigo lifted a brow, surprised. "Thanks, Inoue." He patted her on the shoulder and left, not seeing her swoon, red-faced and the happiest girl in the world.

"Looks like your team's gonna lose." Ichigo muttered to Hitsugaya, as he passed him.

"Just watch. I'll get back two goals in time." he replied, hands in his pockets, not looking troubled at all.

"Oh yeah? Then I'll score three!!" snarled Ichigo, but the short boy ignored him, which irritated him more.

The high-pitched whistle sounded and the players went into motion.

The Vaizard swiftly guarded the ball from Hitsugaya, who was waiting for a slight chance to intercept the ball.

A slim leg darted out, but Ichigo kept the ball from being swept away.

He smirked as he heard a low growl from the Shinigami.

"What's the matter, Toushiro??" he taunted, "Can't catch up?"

He distinctly heard the boy grit his teeth.

Ichigo chuckled as Hitsugaya didn't reply.

His victory didn't last for long, though.

"So, Kurosaki." he heard Hitsugaya say casually. "Who do you think Rukia's rooting for?"

Ichigo gulped as he resisted the urge to look around at the petite girl. He felt his face flush as the question filled his mind.

That brat could see right through him.

Hitsugaya took this oppurtunity to steal the ball, but Ichigo, not thinking straight at all and acting on instinct, lurched out and not caring where it went, kicked the ball.

Except his foot brushed against something harder, and he clearly heard Hitsugaya gasp with pain as his foot slammed against the boy's ankle before the ball.

The ball flew into the net, and Tatsuki punched her fist in the air and whooped victoriously.

Orihime was jumping up and down and clapping her hands, ecstatic that her hero won the game.

The cheering and applauding noise from the audience was immense.

But he didn't notice any of those.

Ichigo stared, horrified, as Kuchiki Rukia ran onto the field, and not even sparing him a sideway glance, went straight to Hitsugaya, who was sitting on the field, scowling to hide his pain.

"Toushiro!!" cried Rukia frantically.

Ichigo's heart sank to his guts.

"I'm fine, baka!!" the white-haired boy snarled, but he flinched as Rukia touched his ankle.

"You're obviously not!!" she said sharply, angry that he would try to hide his pain like that.

Hitsugaya scowled fiercely at her, but she completely ignored him.

"C'mon, let me help you up."

"I said I'm fine!!" he snapped, snatching his arm away from her.

Suddenly the petite girl turned on Ichigo, her face contorted with rage.

The Vaizard blinked at the sudden confrontation and stepped back in surprise.

"You..." Rukia said in a dangerous voice. "How could you hurt Toushiro like that?? You... Y-You..." She started hitting him furiously, all the while yelling incoherent insults.

"It was an accident!!" Ichigo yelled in the midst of her attacks, but the girl wouldn't listen.

It was a comical scene to those who didn't know them. A tough-looking delinquent yelling apologies as a small petite girl almost half his size hitting him repeatedly.

"...Stop already." muttered Hitsugaya. And at once Rukia kneeled down next to him, her eyes shining with tears for her hurt friend.

"Toushiro..." she whispered.

Ichigo suddenly felt the need to kill someone.

Rukia looked in the direction of the injury, and sighed sadly. "Does it hurt much?"

Hitsugaya didn't reply.

It saddens her so much when he acts this cold. And she couldn't do anything.

"Here." Rukia said softly, unraveling Hitsugaya's red scarf from her wrist and wrapping it gently around his exposed neck. Behind her, Ichigo was wondering dimly why his heart felt like someone had stuck a dagger in it and was twisting it out slowly and sadistically.

"Let's take you home." the petite girl said, and put his arm around her shoulder. Hitsugaya didn't say anything, so she took that as a good sign.

Ichigo watched as Rukia urged the white-haired genius to be careful as they stood up, Hitsugaya gingerly testing the hurt ankle and Rukia holding him closely in case he put too much weight on it.

Ichigo's numb mind suddenly worked again, and he lurched forward towards the two, his insides boiling.

"Yeah!! We won!!" Tatsuki grinned at the leader of the opponents. "Not that we had any doubt to begin with!!"

The guy grumbled under his breath.

"Remember the bet!!" Tatsuki said triumphantly. "Losers carry the winners home!!"

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"Why do I have to carry him home, midget??" grumbled Ichigo, complaining about the white-haired boy on his back.

"Hey, I'm not exactly ecstatic about this, either!!" Hitsugaya growled, knowing that he looked like a preschooler on a piggyback ride.

The three of them were on their way to Hitsugaya's mansion, with Rukia in the lead.

"Show a little gratitude, why don't you?? I'm helping you, since your skinny legs are useless now-" said Ichigo irritably.

"Yeah, and who made them useless??" Hitsugaya sharply jabbed the back of Ichigo's head, and the Vaizard suddenly made to drop him.

"Yowch!!" Ichigo yelled in pain, as the back of his head felt like it was on fire.

Hitsugaya was holding on to a fistful of his hair, his whole weight supported on the hair of Ichigo's head. The alien quickly held him back to their awkward piggyback position, and yelled loudly at the boy for pulling his hair, to which the genius replied coolly that he deserved it for dropping him.

"Oh yeah?? Well-"

"Shut up!!" barked Rukia suddenly, and the both of them was silenced.

"I don't want to hear another complain!" she said sharply, her violet eyes fiercely focused on the both of them.

Hitsugaya, who wasn't used to seeing Rukia like this, looked unsettled. Ichigo saw the look on his face and smirked.

"I don't see why you're complaining, actually." the petite girl was saying. "You were the one who injured Toushiro, and then making so much fuss..."

Her voice deepened as she imitated Ichigo.

"You're doing it wrong, Rukia!! How are you gonna get him home? Don't stand so close! A midget carrying another midget? Don't make me laugh!! What are you, lovers? You need to grow a few more feet before you can get him across the field!!"

Ichigo flushed.

Hitsugaya wasn't smiling. Apparently the word 'midget' got to him.

"Y-you know," Ichigo said, unwilling to stay silent, "It's supposed to be the losers carrying the winners home... but I guess I wouldn't expect _you_ to carry me... what with your puny body."

"I wouldn't have to carry you anyway." Hitsugaya replied coolly. "If you hadn't bust my ankle, I would've gotten two goals back and we would've won."

Ichigo opened his mouth to give a sharp retort but saw Rukia looked warningly at him.

"Just think of my injury as your gain." Hitsugaya added, and Ichigo mumbled insults under his breath.

"Quiet." Rukia snapped, and there was silence again, save for the rhytmic footsteps.

A few kids passed them and gawked at Hitsugaya's piggyback ride.

The white-haired boy ignored them, but a deep flush was creeping onto his face. He hated people thinking him as childish.

"Toushiro. You sure you don't want to see a doctor?" asked Rukia, and Ichigo grimaced at her gentle tone, so unlike the tone she uses when talking to him.

"No. For the last time." Hitsugaya said shortly. Then he looked uncomfortable as they took a turning at the crossroad.

"Hey..." Hitsugaya said. "Baka... your house is that way."

Rukia gave him a bemused look. "We're dropping you off first."

"No you're not!!" he barked, and Ichigo felt pain as Hitsugaya's grip on his shoulders tightened. "We'll get you home first, then Kurosaki can take me home. Of course, I wouldn't want _him_ to find out where you live, but-"

"Toushiro." Rukia said firmly, her hands on her hips. "I don't want to hear another word about that walking me everywhere nonsense again. Your injury come first."

Hitsugaya's face was full of worry.

Ichigo was impressed that he could still be talking and thinking normally, considering the fact that the pain in his ankle must be overwhelming. But there wasn't a sign that the short genius was feeling pain, except that he looked paler than usual.

The Vaizard looked at the small figure in front of him. She was strangely in a dominant state. He had never saw her talk to Hitsugaya like this before, and judging by the white-haired boy's expression, neither did he.

They reached Hitsugaya's mansion, one of the largest in both Sereitei and Karakura Town. Rukia punched the button of the electric doorbell, and soon the enormous gate opened.

The petite girl looked at the bored expression on Ichigo's face, then at Hitsugaya. He was scowling in anticipation.

"Welcome!! Hitsugaya-sama, Kuchiki-sama!!" yelled two voices, male and female, together.

"Stop copying me, you witch!!" Sentarou shouted, "I greeted Hitsugaya-sama and Kuchiki-sama first!!"

"Shut up, Sentarou!!" Kiyone shouted angrily. "Everyone knows that you're the copycat!!"

Then a bright orange caught their eyes.

"Eh?" Kiyone said, looking at Ichigo, who gazed back. "Welcome, New Friend-sama!!"

"What the-? Call him by name, you rude idiot!!" Sentarou knocked Kiyone on the head. "May we know your name, sir??"

"Er... it's Ichigo." he said, uncertainly.

The two took a deep breath. "Welcome, Strawberry-sama!!"

"W-wha?" Ichigo blinked.

"Just go in. Quickly before they notice." muttered Hitsugaya in his ear.

But it was too late.

"Strawberry-sama is so nice to give Hitsugaya-sama a piggyback ride!!" said Kiyone, clapping her gloved hands together.

"You idiot!!" shrieked Sentarou. "Hitsugaya-sama is obviously hurt!!" He rushed towards Hitsugaya. "Hitsugaya-sama, please let me take a look at your injury!! I'm an expert in First-Aid!!"

"No you're not!! You're just a gardener!!" Kiyone yelled. "Please, allow me, Hitsugaya-sama, to tend to your injury!!"

"Run, moron." Hitsugaya commanded Ichigo, as if the alien was a horse.

"C'mon, Ichigo." Rukia said, as Sentarou and Kiyone bickered.

Ichigo followed behind the petite girl, leaving the two servants behind.

"I went to nurse school!!"

"Guys can't be nurses!!"

"Oh yeah?!"

Rukia opened the fancily carved oak door, and Ichigo went it without hesitation.

"Oi. Ichigo."

The Vaizard ignored her and dumped Hitsugaya at the nearest sofa. The boy grunted with discomfort as he tried to get up.

"Toushiro! Where are you going?" asked Rukia, bewildered.

"My room." he muttered. "That two morons outside will get me if I don't hurry."

Then a tall, white-haired man entered the hall. "Shiro-chan!!"

"Another moron." Hitsugaya whispered under his breath, and Rukia shot him a disapproving look.

Hitsugaya's uncle, Ukitake Jyuushiro beamed at Rukia. "Ah, Kuchiki-san!! It's always nice to see you around."

Then his eyes widened in great surprise at the orange-haired Vaizard behind her.

"Yo." greeted Ichigo rudely. And Rukia elbowed him in the guts, hard.

"Take Toushiro up to his room, ok?" she whispered to the alien who was doubled up in pain. "I'll come later."

Ichigo grumbled in a low voice but lifted the boy with one arm and carried him under his arm, much to Hitsugaya's distaste.

"Put me down!!" he barked angrily, but was ignored. "Kurosaki!!"

"He got his ankle hurt in a football match." explained Rukia, to Ukitake, who was still stunned.

"Yes... of course." Ukitake mumbled, but Rukia doubted that he heard her. "But, Kuchiki-san... that young man..."

Rukia looked up at him, and knew the question before it came.

"No." she smiled sadly. "No relations."

The white-haired man stared at the staircase where Ichigo disappeared.

"Right." the smile returned on his face so suddenly it was startling to watch. "Of course!! What was I thinking?"

Rukia watched as Ukitake tried to laugh it off, and excused herself politely.

"See you later, then, Kuchiki-san." She caught him casting another glance in Ichigo's direction, and left, without another word.

Rukia sighed. She knew that Ukitake missed him as much as she did.

_Why, oh, why did he have to die??_

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Ichigo scowled at a large picture of Hitsugaya, framed and hung on the wall right outside the white-haired boy's bedroom.

The Hitsugaya in the picture frowned back, looking as fierce as the real one did.

The Vaizard tapped his foot as he waited for Rukia to come up. And he absolutely refused to stay in the same room with that brat.

A short figure appear around the corner, and Ichigo straightened at once.

"Hey, Rukia." he grumbled, rubbing a few spots on his chest that only slightly hurt. "That friend of yours can really struggle. I think I already have enough bruises to cover me. You owe me for this, ya hear?"

She looked up and he was surprised to see that she had a great look of sadness on her face.

"Hey... what gives?" Ichigo said, taken aback. She shook her head and tried to smile, but he knew at once that she was lying.

"Look... if it's about Toushiro..." he began gruffly.

"It's nothing, alright?" she said softly, and reached for the doorknob.

Ichigo grabbed her wrist. "No, it's not nothing. Don't you lie."

Rukia looked into his eyes and he saw how hurt she was.

"Did that old man downstairs do something to you?" he said wildly, and Rukia blinked. "What? Of course not!!"

Ichigo looked around as he thought of something to say, and notice that he was still holding her hand.

Blushing, he withdrew his grip at once.

Rukia didn't seem to even realise it. She even gave a little smile. "It's nothing, ok?"

The raven-haired girl opened the door and went in, leaving the red-faced Ichigo at the door.

Hitsugaya's room wasn't decorated extensively in any way. It was furnished plainly, with a bed near the curtained windows, a closet next to the bed, a desk the opposite side of the room and a cupboard full of books.

Rukia sat at the end of the bed and gazed at the swollen ankle. "Looks painful."

Hitsugaya, who was lying on his back and glaring at the ceiling, ignored her.

"Lock the door, Kurosaki." he ordered suddenly, not looking away from the ceiling.

Ichigo, who was just entering the room, gritted his teeth and complied.

He didn't want the two noisy servants, who got on his nerves, to come in either.

The Vaizard walked around the room, which was bigger than Rukia's, occasionally flipping open a notebook on the desk and looking out the window.

At least there weren't any Chappies here.

The room was full of silence except for the slight shuffling of Ichigo's movements.

Rukia realized that he didn't walk this way when they were alone. He was usually extremely graceful and never making a sound when he move.

Impressed that he could change his habits of movement to fit his image, the petite girl watched him a little longer.

Suddenly she saw that Hitsugaya was gazing at her.

He raised a brow, as if questioning her taste in men, and rolled his eyes in Ichigo's direction.

Rukia blushed. "It's not like that!!"

The short boy smirked and looked at the ceiling once again.

Ichigo had looked around at Rukia's outburst, but now turned back to his selecting of books to read.

"Hey... shouldn't you ask permission before you read that?" Rukia asked, as Ichigo sat down on the carpet and leaned against the bed, a poetry book in his hands.

"I'd like to see Toushiro try to stop me if he doesn't want me to read it." he snickered, and received a smack on the head from Rukia.

"Shiro-chan." came Ukitake's voice from outside the door. "I brought a doctor."

Hitsugaya gestured for Rukia to open the door, but Ichigo jumped up first, and let them in.

"HITSUGAYA-SAMA!!" Kiyone screamed.

Sentarou pushed her aside and flew to Hitsugaya's side. "Oh, Hitsugaya-sama!! We were sooo worried!!"

"I was more worried than this idiot here, Hitsugaya-sama!!" Kiyone said quickly, and the gardener stood up angrily. "No you weren't!!"

"Shut up." said Hitsugaya irritably, "I have a job for you."

The two servants leaned in so close that he pushed them away, annoyed.

Meanwhile, Rukia and Ichigo stood watching the doctor, who was smiling pleasantly.

"This is Doctor Unohana." introduced Ukitake, "She's an amazing doctor, she's been helping my illness for years... also the reason I'm alive."

"Now, now, Ukitake-san." Unohana said gently. "No need to say things like that."

Rukia gazed at the doctor. She had met her once before, and seeing her again revoked bad memories.

Then she saw Ukitake staring at Ichigo curiously, and Ichigo glaring back defiantly.

"Well... I guess we should get going." the petite girl said, dragging Ichigo out of the door.

"Can't you stay a little while longer?" the white-haired man asked, disappointed.

"No... sorry." Rukia smiled, and waved to Hitsugaya. "Bye, Toushiro!!"

He lifted his hand in response.

"Ok, bye, Ukitake-san."

"Kuchiki-san!!" he said reproachfully. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Uncle Jyuushiro?!"

Ichigo cast a bewildered look at Rukia but she just shrugged. "He says the exact same thing every time." she whispered.

They went downstairs.

To both their surprise, Kiyone and Sentarou followed.

They went out of the front door and the gate, but still, the duo followed them seriously, not a sound from them at all.

"Hey, what gives?" Ichigo blurted out. Sentarou puffed out his chest and saluted. "I'm sorry, Strawberry-sama, but I've been instructed to follow Kuchiki-sama until her front door and makes sure no stranger talks to her!!"

"We're supposed to keep that a secret, you moron!!" Kiyone yelled, punching him on the head.

Ichigo stared at Rukia, who looked uncomfortable.

"Whatever." Ichigo said to them, and they kept on walking.

The two servants followed behind them until a crossroad, where the alien said his goodbye.

The Vaizard walked on, not alone, knowing that another of Byakuya's spies is right behind him, still trying to find out where he lives.

Ichigo decided to take a long walk before losing the bodyguard.

He walked, his mind running through the day's events.

The orange-haired alien had joined the soccer match, all for Rukia. And what happened?

Instead of gushing over him, the hero of the game, she went to Toushiro. That brat just had to intervene on the soccer match.

Actually he had welcomed the opportunity of kicking the brat's butt, but the idea backfired.

When he decided to join Sereitei High to protect Rukia in case Grimmjow came to look for her in school, deep down, he had pictured getting closer with Rukia, and her smiling face when she realised that she would see him more often, with them being best friends at school.

But no... when she saw him in public, she ignored him, terrified that people will find out his secret if they talked too often.

Instead of getting closer, they were drifting apart.

Having all these events tearing their relationship...there is nothing more that can make it any worse.

Ichigo felt a hollowness in his stomach.

The bright colors of the sunset painting the town gold, red, and orange did nothing to console the downcast Vaizard.

To him, the world was grey.

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Rukia sat back, stunned.

The silence that ensued was extremely awkward before Byakuya's deep voice broke it.

"How strange." he mused, expressionless. "One would think, after all these years, you would feel joy at seeing your old friend."

"I-I... Forgive me, Nii-sama." Rukia said hurriedly.

But she couldn't stop staring. She couldn't stop the memories that rushed through her as she gazed at that deep red hair, after all these years, still tied up in the same fashion. She couldn't stop wondering why, why did he come back, after all this time of ignoring her, as she noticed the new lines of tattoes on his brow. And even as his name thundered furiously in her mind, she couldn't, simply couldn't bring herself to utter it.

"Rukia." he called, slight confusion in his voice.

Confusion? At what? At the fact that she's not overjoyed to see him?

After how he left her, he has the guts to wonder why she's not happily running to him??

"H-hello. Renji." Rukia said weakly. She got up from the couch, and realized that her knees were shaking.

"Please excuse me."

With that, she ran all the way to her room.

She latched the door and saw that Ichigo was there, looking surprised at her hastiness.

"What's up?" he asked, putting down his book.

"Nothing. You back already?" Rukia said, a fake cheeriness in her voice.

"Yes, I thought I saw your brother coming, so I didn't greet you in the hall... is something wrong?" Ichigo asked, concerned.

"N-no."

The alien got up and stood in front of her, his hands grasping her shoulders and looking her straight in the eye.

"Rukia." he said grimly. "Tell me what's wrong."

The petite girl looked miserable. "I-I don't know!! I should be happy, I guess... but, I'm not, and.. and-"

She broke off and looked down at her feet.

"He's back." she whispered, and Ichigo's eyebrows shot up.

"Who's back?" Ichigo said sharply, his grip on her shoulders tightening.

Rukia bit her lip and wouldn't reply.

"It's not Grimmjow, is it?" the alien said, his voice almost to a growl at the memory of the green-haired man.

She shook her head.

"Then who?!" Ichigo asked, trying to catch her eye.

"H-he was a friend. " Rukia mumbled.

Then the door behind her shook as Renji knocked on the door.

"Rukia. May I come in?"

Ichigo looked up with a wild look in his amber eyes, looking as though he would tear apart the guy who walks through that door.

The guy who made Rukia sad.

Ichigo made to open the door but Rukia pushed him towards the closet.

"Hide, Ichigo!!" she said urgently. "Don't make a sound."

Ichigo hesitated.

"Rukia?" came Renji's voice outside the door.

"Go!! I'm fine!" Rukia urged, and with a last look at her, the Vaizard shut himself in the cupboard.

He left it slightly open, however. Just a hair's breadth.

Outside, the raven-haired girl took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi." Renji said, sounding breathless.

"Hi." she greeted back, and opened the door wider so he could enter.

Rukia closed the door and watched her old friend study the chappy wallpaper around her room.

"This is a nice room." he complimented, and Rukia gave a small smile.

"I guess you're doing well, huh?" the red head said, looking directly at her. "Since you're the sister of the great Kuchiki Byakuya, and all."

She stayed silent.

"Better than the old times... anyway." Renji muttered. "He was not very rich... but a good man. I hope you're not blaming yourself for what happened."

Ichigo watched in the dark as Rukia shrugged, a pained look on her face.

He wondered who were they talking about, and why would this red pineapple guy would bring him up if it hurts Rukia.

"It's not your fault, you know." Renji continued, an awkward look on his face.

He was still dressed in a business suit. Rukia knew that he was working as Byakuya's apprentice, and wondered why only now did he come to see her.

"We haven't seen each other in a while." Renji said quietly, as if reading her mind. "I missed you."

Rukia looked up in surprise.

"You know, you hadn't changed a bit." he said, smiling. "You've only grown slightly taller."

"Same to you." she muttered, and Renji laughed heartily. Rukia stared, not feeling amused at all.

Suddenly he looked thoughtful. "Hisagi's your teacher, ain't he?"

"Yeah. Chemistry." Rukia replied. She wasn't happy. Renji didn't seem to feel the slightest bit of remorse for leaving her all those years ago. Didn't he know how lonely she became because of him?

Renji was chuckling. "Hisagi thinks you're on drugs. I don't believe a word of it."

Rukia blinked. "Huh?"

"Yeah. Don't tell me I told you, though." he said, apparently thinking it was a very funny thing.

She stared at him blankly.

"He also told me about that orange-haired kid." Renji said, looking serious.

Ichigo frowned from within the shadows.

"You guys an item?" Renji asked, and Rukia jumped.

"What? NO!! We're just friends." she said, denying it all.

Ichigo bit his lip and wondered why he felt so disappointed. She admitted that they were friends, didn't she?

"Eitherways, him being around made me realize that you won't be single forever."

Rukia raised a brow. "Huh?"

"I've worked hard these past few years, Rukia." he said, his eyes never leaving her. "Night classes... business seminars... the works.

"They said I was a genius." he chuckled, then turned serious again. "But no... I was just a man who worked hard for his goal."

He gazed at Rukia for a response, but she only looked bemused.

"I'm only second now to Kuchiki Byakuya in power within our company." he mused. "I think I'll start a new company soon and try and surpass his."

At this there was finally a reaction. "Why would you do that?" Rukia asked sharply.

Renji smiled sadly at her. "I was sad when he took you away."

She blinked in surprise.

The red-haired man looked nervous, and his hand was stuck in his pocket awkwardly.

"I worked hard for you, Rukia." he said softly, "The days which I counted so that I can see you again without guilt. The guilt that haunted me because I let you go with Kuchiki Byakuya... I couldn't forgive myself for that... and I joined his company to observe him, and surpass him in business."

Renji looked her straight in the eyes, his face shining with sincerity. "I'm here to take you back, Rukia."

The petite girl was shocked. What did he mean, take her back? Her Nii-sama would never let him do so, in the first place.

"But only..." he mumbled, his lower lip trembling. "Only if I succeed... But, I wanna ask you now."

She stared at him, wondering dimly when did he started having such a red face.

_Maybe it's the intensity of his red hair..._

"Rukia." he whispered, taking the small object which he had been fingering in his pocket.

Suddenly Renji got down on one knee and opened the object, a box which contained a glimmering diamond ring.

"Will you marry me??"

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**A/N: Heehee!! Sorry if it's so sudden, but yeah... ****Were you surprised?**

**I liked the scene where Ichigo had to carry Hitsugaya piggyback style, just because Rukia forced him to, and the football thing, in honour of the Hitsugaya soccer filler episode.**

**I know that everyone already knows who the mysterious 'him' Rukia and Ukitake were talking about, but just let me enjoy myself. That's one mystery solved. **

**Please tell me what you think!!**


	14. Confrontation!

This is awesome glossary thing Enjoy and bow down bfor eet

_Shinigami-_A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

_Vaizard-_Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

_Arrancar_-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

_Chappy_-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

_He doesn't understand me at all._

_I thought I was his best friend._

_I thought he came back to apologise, for leaving me in my time of loneliness._

_But he only said this, as though nothing had happened._

"_Will you marry me?"_

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Silence spread out like nightmares would, and the only sound made from time to time came from the red-haired man called Abarai Renji, and that was the occasional nervous gulps.

In the closet, Kurosaki Ichigo 15xv, the Vaizard, watched on with wide eyes, the tension in the room so dense and yet so fragile he dare not even breathe in case of disturbing it.

_H-He... that pinapple-head..proposed to her.. my Shinigami..._

A proposal of marriage, which is a bond that Shinigami of traditional background found necessary to prove their love and commitment to one another, usually consisting of one male and one female.

The Vaizard, Ichigo, felt great emptiness in his heart, as it was the happiness of his heart that depends on the Shinigami girl, Kuchiki Rukia's, reply.

Kuchiki Rukia was staring as absorbed at Renji as Ichigo did at her, seemingly at loss for words. The young man in a business suit in front of her gulped again, and the hands holding up the small box containing the bright diamond ring were shaking uncontrollably, as though he had been waiting a long time for this.

The raven-haired Shinigami, Rukia, who was the petite little figure to which both the men's attention was steadily on, went through several different changes of expression that would have been entertaining to watch if both the witnesses' happiness did not depend so greatly on her answer.

Yes? To Renji's favour?

Or no?

Ichigo was practically trying to look into Rukia's thoughts by staring intensely and picking up every little detail... every tiny little change of her expression that would tell him her feelings. The alien was searching so intently that he was starting to pick up imaginary changes.

Rukia's expression was still changing. It had started out with a sharp intake of breath, as one would before reprimanding someone, but then she bit back potential screams of fury, and chewed her lower lip for five minutes, before clenching and unclenching her fists. Now she let out a tiny, almost non-existent snort of laughter, that promptly lifted Renji's hopes and battered down Ichigo's.

Rukia stared into Renji's face without really seeing him there, and proceeded to pinch her arm, as though unsure if this was real.

As the girl silently contemplated her own little mysteries, Ichigo, in the closet, felt very hollow, and very very strange.

What was this?

He did not want her to go with this man, despite them being old friends, apparently. Everything was wrong with that man, thought Ichigo furiously. He was ugly, he was too tall, he didn't know how to keep back words that would hurt Rukia... and he was the most disgusting male specimen of Shinigami Ichigo had ever seen.

Then there was this unfamiliar feeling. Ichigo felt it before, when she got into trouble. This situation did not threaten her safety, yet...

Ichigo felt fear.

Fear that she would agree, and marry him. That Renji.

"Y-You..." Rukia finally said, her voice shaking and loud in the silence of the room.

Both men held their breath.

"You really..." Her shoulders were shaking as well. So were her fists.

The hands holding the diamond ring lowered a fraction of an inch. Perhaps the owner instinctively knew what was coming.

"Do you have ANY sense of timing at all???" Rukia barked, "Or any idea what you did, leaving me like that??!!"

Renji looked taken aback. "R-Rukia.."

"DON'T!" she cried, and gritted her teeth, "Don't call me as if we are that close."

The red-haired man took this pause as a chance to rise to his feet. He was as tall as she was when he was kneeling, but now he is twice her height.

She was not in the slightest bit intimidated.

"You must understand." Renji was saying. "What I did then... leaving you... was because I felt that I was not worthy.."

The glowering girl did not reply.

"At first I was so angry at him, for taking you away." He continued, his voice increasingly pained. "I still am, but it was because of then that I made myself into what I am today, to be good enough to defeat Kuchiki Byakuya.. for what he did."

"So??" she snapped.

He did not get it. To him it was himself that was hurt the most, wasn't it? And that it was a luxury for her to be taken away, to be adopted by a cold, rich man who does not spare her even a smile? Alone to face that person's death, all by herself?

"So I want to take you back, Rukia." Renji said, in a grim expression. "Since I can, now."

She did nothing but glare at him. She could not say all that she wanted to say. Ichigo shouldn't hear this.

"Get out."

Renji started. "W-what?"

"I said, " Rukia cried, "GET OUT!!!"

And she threw a pillow at his head.

"Hey!!" Renji said, startled. "C-calm down!!"

Leaving _me to face such a sudden change... and_ his _death... when I needed him the most.._

"GET OUT!!!"

She threw another pillow at him, and this time, the red-haired man caught it deftly.

"This.." he said in a soft, suddenly dangerous voice. "This is about that orange-haired kid, isn't it?"

A strange, icy sensation clawed at her heart. "H-How do you know about him?" Rukia said, in a quiet tone.

"Stay away from him." Renji said, his tone cold and harsh. "He's no good for you."

"You leave him out of this." She hissed, and pointed at the door. "Now get out."

"He's the reason you're gonna get taken away again." Renji muttered, in a spiteful undertone. The raven-haired girl did not pay any attention to this, and slammed the door once he was out.

She stood there, silently raging. He talked as though Nii-sama was to blame... when she was _taken away. _Renji was still as clueless as always.

"Whew!! I thought he was never gonna leave." The Vaizard said, sliding out of the closet with an unusually light expression. "Say... you ok?" For the petite Shinigami was still facing the door, her tiny figure unmoving.

"Rukia?" he called, concerned.

His heart continued to weigh as he saw that she turned away from him.

"Ichigo."

He felt his heart skip a beat. "Yeah?"

"Could you please leave the room, for some time?" her voice was steady and toneless. "I need to some time alone to think."

The Vaizard did not like this. "You made me promise once never to leave you."

"Please... just go." Now it shook despite the efforts to suppress her emotions.

"No way!!" he blurted out, despite knowing that he should give her space. "I won't .. I won't _leave _you!! I'm not like that guy just now!! I won't let you suffer alone!!"

In this, the alien had already moved away from the subject.

Of course, the raging emotions in the raven-haired girl blurred her from understanding the full meaning behind this, though he himself did not want to admit it.

"If you leave, you will spare me some shame." Rukia said, and held herself with shaking arms. She did not want him to see her tears. "Please, Ichigo."

He hesitated, and in his uncertainty for the right action, he turned towards the window.

"If you need me," he mumbled, "Just call my name."

Without any doubt in his frustration, he forced open the stuck window, which flew open with a sharp snapping sound, and climbed out of it.

Rukia then shut it carefully, and then seeing no sign of the Vaizard, she went to the bed, and broke down.

She was angry at Renji, for suddenly waltzing in and asking such an outrageous request of her, after so long during which he had ignored her calls and refused to talk to her. She was angry at herself, for hurting him by being angry, since he did not understand why. Also, she cried for the painful memories that Renji evoked, and the memory of her respected Kaien-dono...

There was a soft knocking on the door, and her brother calling.

"Rukia."

Hastily wiping her tears, she drew in a breath to compose herself as a true Kuchiki would, and opened the door. Byakuya stood in the doorway, a tall and serious figure, which gazed down upon his Rukia's tear-stained face, and her twitching mouth that so wanted to continue sobbing.

"May I come in?"

She stepped aside without any hesitation that showed her reluctance, as Kuchiki Byakuya's requests were orders. The said man entered, very naturally avoiding looking at her. It could be said that he was ashamed as a brother than he could not protect her tears, but then as someone as elegant as himself, it would be wiser to assume that the sight disgusted him. He sat down on her bed.

"My apprentice was very agitated in his departure." Byakuya placed a smooth hand beside him, motioning for her to sit. "Did you say something to cause this?"

He was asking only to be polite.

Rukia did not trust herself to speak, so she did not. It would seem that Byakuya did not expect an answer, as well, as he closed his eyes, and said, very slowly, "He was acting strangely excited the whole week. Ever since that he managed to seal that contract that profited of a sum of 5.5 billion."

Rukia tried to say something, but it came out as a distorted sound.

"I was expecting this ever since I graced his application to join my company." He then gave a low sigh. "I must offer you my apologies."

This surprised her. Her brother was not one that would say sorry so easily.

So that was her breaking point.

"H-He proposed.." she curled herself into a tight ball, and hid her crying face, which she was ashamed of, and tried to choke back her sobs. "I-I'm sorry, Nii-sama.. I show this face, wh-which brings disgrace to the great K-Kuchiki name, over this trivial matter..." She shuddered, and clenched her knees as she hid from her brother. "I'm s-sorry..."

It was the worst disgrace. Byakuya was deserving of a more elegant sister, someone who could keep her silly emotions under control... someone that will keep herself poise and graceful at all times. And she was certain her Nii-sama was very much disgusted by her now.

"I'm sorry." She said, from behind clenched teeth. "I'm not deserving of the Kuchiki name."

At this, she felt a soft, smooth hand lightly touch the tip of her brow, and gently guided her to lift her head.

She dared not look at him, but vainly tried to hold back her silently flowing tears as his hand slowly ran to the top of her head, and stayed there.

It was warm, and strangely comforting, for a warmth that came from a cold man that supposedly did not love her.

So that was how Rukia felt her own body move of it's own accord, and leaned on the apathetic Kuchiki Byakuya as she cried and cried, no longer holding back her tears, as he gently held her head to his chest. His cashmere suit was getting wet with droplets of her tears, but he shows no sign of disgust. His expression was as unreadable as always, even as he gazed down at the petite girl clutching at his suit, shaking with her grief, and in it, subconsciously finding comfort in him.

And it was this scene that sadistically stabbed into Kurosaki Ichigo15xv's Vaizard heart, as he gazed into the room through the frosted window, invisible in their eyes, and their hearts.

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"R-Renji... you should really stop... this is your fifth glass... and that stuff's really strong." Kira muttered, only to have his advice ignored.

"Is this about the money?" The red-faced red-haired man snapped. "Coz I kno' this place isn't a barr." He pulled out a hundred and slammed it unto the counter. "Bah!!! Barrrs wan mooney too, don't they??"

"I'm your friend, Abarai-kun..." Kira muttered, but pocketed the money anyway.

"...When you said, "meet me for a drink", " Hisagi mumbled, staring at his glass, "I thought you meant that we would be going to a bar, not drinking away Kira's stock."

"Barrs cost moneyy!!" yelled a very drunk Renji, and flung another hundred onto the counter. "Waaaiter!!! I need s'more of dis stuf."

"Okay, what happened?" Hisagi demanded, after pushing his whiskey out of Renji's reach. "Tell me."

"Noes!!"

"Renji..." Hisagi's voice grew low and threatening, when it did when a student challenged his authority.

"Gimme that!!" Renji growled at Kira, and snatched the whole bottle of vodka out of his hands. Then he proceeded to empty the entire bottle, much to the amazement of his friends.

Finishing it, he threw the bottle back to a startled Kira, and buried himself in his arms on the counter.

"R-Renji?" Kira called uncertainly.

The tattooed man was mumbling something. His two friends leaned in, curious.

"I guess... that was a ...no..."

"What is?" Kira asked, bemused.

"It's his fault." Renji's voice was louder now, though still very drunk. "His coming to seduce her... with Chappies. That punk is smart to use teh Chappies."

"Who is?" asked Kira, more confused than ever. Hisagi leaned back, a small frown on his lips.

"The stupid orange Strawberry..."

It was just then that Hisagi noticed a suspicious box peeking out of Renji's pocket. He lightly took it, but the red-haired man was so out of it that he didn't notice anyway.

"I bet he's an alien or somewat.", grumbled Renji, his unfocused eyes glaring at Kira. "From the planet of stupid names!! A-And he just came and took my moon away from me."

"Moon?" echoed Kira, casting Hisagi a can-you-believe-this look. But Hisagi did not notice it. His wide eyes were focused on the shining ring that supported the huge sparkling diamond.

"And I'm just a dog, barking at the moon." Renji murmured sadly, and fell asleep.

Hisagi looked up at this strange comment, and exchanged a look with Kira. They both did not fully understand what was that all about, yet there were hints the whole week that there was something going on in Renji's head. He had been acting very giddy, as one would only naturally be when they were in love.

Then when Hisagi told him earlier about his suspicions about Rukia's drug addiction, Renji only stared at him, and then laughed until he clutched his sides, tears running down the side of his face.

Hisagi frowned at the box he held in his fist. Was he right then, in his suspicions?

"What's that you've got, Hisagi-kun?" Kira asked, after one last stare at the now snoring Renji.

Hisagi unfurled his fist, and handed the box to the blonde man without a word.

As the diamond ring sparkled and shone proudly, Kira's eyes grew wider and wider.

"H-Hisagi-kun!!"

"Yes, I know, I hope Renji didn't see me with it... it would raise some very awkward questions."

"I-I would say so!!" stuttered Kira, still in shock. "B-But Hisagi.."

"Let's keep it a secret, okay?"

At this Kira thrust back the box at him. "No, I can't accept this!! I don't see you more than just a friend, Hisagi-kun!! And certainly not in _that_ way!!"

"W-What??" Hisagi spluttered.

Kira drew himself up in indignance. "You heard me, Hisagi-kun!! I'm very flattered that I meant so much to you, but then, perhaps you have been reading all the wrong signs!!"

Hisagi stared at Kira, mouth agape.

"I'm very sorry," the blonde was saying. "We have been friends for years, and I really do hope we can still continue to be so in the future."

So this was how it came to be that Hisagi started shouting at Kira, face red with embarrassment, while Renji murmured incoherently in his sleep about something that sounded like, "not having the guts to jump at the moon."

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Rukia woke up, feeling drowsy and content as one would after a good night's rest.

Then the night's events returned to her, and her insides froze.

What happened?

Renji proposed to her, and she turned him down while shouting at him... then all she remembered was crying into her brother's chest.

It all seemed more likely to be a dream than reality. In what universe would Byakuya allow someone to cry on his expensive suits?

She dressed for school, her hands still shaking slightly as she buttoned up her shirt. The raven-haired girl took up her Chappy brush to smoothen out her hair, but then she received a great shock when she saw herself in the mirror.

Bags under her sore eyes, her nose still slightly red, and her lips shrivelled and dry. All these were not a pretty sight combined with her white face.

After washing vigorously, she forced a few grins unto her face, loosening it up from the strange tightness that one would experience after such a cry.

Now she looked more like herself.

With her emotions all exhausted and with such a good night's rest, Rukia found the angered feelings that she experienced yesterday as a numb sensation at the back of her head. All she could think of now was where Ichigo was. Did he leave for school already, without coming back to her room at all?

She had woke up to find herself warm and comfortable, all tucked into her soft bed. She don't remember going to bed herself.

And since it couldn't be Byakuya who did so, was it Ichigo?

A slight flutter lightened up her deadened mood, and she went downstairs with a tiny yet unnoticed spring in her step.

Byakuya was already sipping the last of his coffee. Nothing seemed to have changed, especially the stoic expression on his face, and the cold, toneless way he returned her greeting. This made Rukia wonder if yesterday really happened.

"I will be taking my leave now." He said, almost as soon as she sat down at the table. There was no difference either, in the way he said it.

"Yes, Nii-sama," she said, politely. In her tone, however, the confusion was apparent despite her attempts to hide it, her attempts to be as graceful as her brother, who is of pure noble blood. "Have a good day."

She finished her breakfast in the same bemusement. The thought of an angry Renji crossed her mind a few times, causing her to bite her lower lip. She also wondered how it is going to be like, when Byakuya and Renji meet during work. But then her brother wouldn't be flinging pillows at his pineapple head and screaming at him to get out, would he?

Rukia frowned. What on earth was Renji thinking, suddenly proposing to her like that?? If he came in properly and asked to be friends again she wouldn't had say no... or scream at him.... but proposing??

She couldn't even begin to imagine life as Mrs. Abarai Renji. It was that absurd. However, this helped her get over the shock of it, and since now she had cried enough over the pain it aroused, the only thing that troubled her was whether Renji will be angry at her.

And what Ichigo thought about this.

The petite Shinigami sighed as she was tying her shoelaces, her back facing the front door.

_I must remember to apologise to that Vaizard later on. It was rude chasing him out like that, when he only wants to help. _

But at least he didn't see her cry.

That was the only thing that gave Rukia relief. She couldn't stand the thought of having Ichigo see her tears, despite not fully understanding why.

Feeling slightly better with her guilt, she went out the front door, only to see Kiyone and Sentarou standing stiffly behind the two bare sakura trees in the front yard.

"...What are you guys doing here?"

Kiyone gasped loudly. "R-Rukia-sama saw us!!! This is your fault, Sentarou!!"

The gardener growled at her from behind the other tree. "Shut up, Kiyone!! It was your big fat butt that gave us away!!"

Rukia watched as they bickered for about five minutes before deciding that it was best to intervene.

"Excuse me, but what are you two doing here?" she asked, despite already knowing the answer.

They stopped their argument, and drew themselves up to full height. "Hitsugaya-sama sent us!!" they cried in unison. "We are to escort you to Sereitei High, Rukia-sama!!"

"Though I would do way better than the gardener here, of course." Kiyone added, and that sparked another of their endless fights. Rukia sighed and started walking. Hitsugaya was too much, first insisting that he walked her all the way to her doorsteps, and now this. But then in the excitement of yesterday's events she had almost forgotten that he had injured himself. She made a mental note to visit him after school, and to buy the white-haired genius something nice to cheer him up.

As Kiyone and Sentarou's bickering grew louder and increasingly annoying, Rukia found herself thinking of a way to ditch them. But that would be extremely rude, and she abandoned the idea, subconscious or not.

What was Toushiro so scared of, anyway?

Then she bumped into Grimmjow.

With an audible gasp, Rukia tried to avert her eyes and pray that he did not see her, but it was already too late. The violent-looking man was in fact grinning at her as he leaned casually by the wall, looking as though he was waiting for someone. He was wearing a thick leather jacket that looked a little strange on a side, as though one arm had a dent in it or something. But both arms were folded neatly together, with his hands hidden in the jacket, so Rukia couldn't well place what the problem was... and she was too scared to look longer.

"Hey. " he greeted her, the smirk on his face stretching into an evil sneer. "Don't you go ignoring me, now. After what we've been through together."

Rukia gulped and continued walking, as she dared not meet his intent gaze. Fortunately her two escorts were too into their argument that they did not notice Grimmjow talking to her. Sentarou was actually screaming so loud that Rukia could barely think clearly. However, Grimmjow's tone carried his words unambiguously, that every word managed to send chills down Rukia's spine.

Her ignoring him did not seem to bother him at all. On the contrary, he laughed, as if amused, and said, "Say my name."

Then, as if her body had a mind of its own, Rukia found that she had turned around, her hands clasped nervously together as she murmured, "Grimmjow Jaggerjaques."

This name that had made goose bumps appear every time it crossed her mind, the fear soothed only when she looked at Ichigo...

Who wasn't here, at the moment.

"There ya go." Grimmjow grinned, satisfied. "And where's that bitch of yours, huh?"

"....Ichigo's not my-"

"Yeah, yeah... when's he gonna come finish off that fight? I miss how you taste like." At this, Grimmjow licked his lips and grinned lopsidedly at Rukia, making her grimace.

"I have to go to school." She said quickly, as Kiyone and Sentarou were starting to look their way with curious eyes. "Good bye."

"Look for me when you get lonely at night. I'll rock your bed real good." He said, and then gave a sharp bark of laughter.

Rukia scowled to herself as her face flushed red.

"...Rukia-sama." Kiyone said, in a quizzical tone, after they had walked five minutes in silence. "Who was that?"

"...He's my neighbour." She replied, and decided to lie for the sake of Hitsugaya's peace of mind. "He likes to flirt, but doesn't mean anything."

Her two companions then started arguing about the right ways of flirting then, and they reached Sereitei High without bringing up Grimmjow again. The raven-haired girl was puzzled, though. Grimmjow was acting almost civilised compared to their previous encounter. Why is that? That lustful glint that appeared in his eyes when he stared at her was as strong as ever, but now he was less inclined to fly at her and start tearing her apart.

Rukia sat down in her seat and returned a wave that was from Ichigo, who was looking abit pale. She dared not act too friendly with him in public, so instead got out her sketchbook and doodled in it, the absence of a certain white-haired boy apparent.

000000000

_She looks a bit shaken. It could be worse, I guess._

Ichigo let out a hoarse sigh of relief, and continued to watch the back of her raven head, longing to go up to her and sit in that empty seat beside her delicate form.

_That red-haired idiot... _

His Shinigami seems to have recovered very well from yesterday's incident. He was glad, but then a darkness appeared in his heart as he thought, maybe it's because she was comforted by that brother of hers.

She didn't even need Ichigo there. He was in fact chased out, and if she did not want him to see her cry, why was Byakuya, whom Ichigo thought was held in higher regards, allowed to see her tears?

His fists tightened.

_I did not manage to help her even one bit. All I did was get in the way, that I had to be asked to leave._

The stoic Byakuya, who looked cold and uncaring on the surface, suddenly emerged as a shoulder to lean on, a cashmere suit to cry to it's ruin, and someone who Rukia can actually count on.

Even when she cried herself to sleep, Byakuya not needing to say a word, Ichigo had saw with his own amber eyes Byakuya picking the girl up bridal-style, and effortlessly placing her in her bed.

Her tear-stained face looked so serene; as her brother tucked her in, making sure that she was warm and comfortable to level out the cold and emptiness in her heart.

She looked so peaceful as if she was content, and did not need one thing more. As if she did not need an orange-haired Vaizard to dry her tears.

Perhaps she didn't.

He had even waited the entire night, gazing at her as she slept, just in case she needed him to scare away nightmares. But she didn't stir at all, and though disappointed that he could not demonstrate his worth, he was relieved that she slept well.

Ichigo continued to watch the back of her head, hoping that she will turn around and give a reassuring smile, at least.

And he went on hoping, with anxious, almost starving eyes.

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Fujiko Suzuki was a secretary at Senbonzakura. Inc. She was, in fact, the No.1 Right Hand Man's secretary. That means Fujiko Suzuki was Abarai Renji's secretary. That means Fujiko Suzuki was a high-ranked secretary... whatever they called it. It just meant that she was very well-respected. This was obviously because Abarai Renji was very well-respected, and only the second most well-respected person in the building, Kuchiki Byakuya, the founder and Big Boss of Senbonzakura. Inc being the first.

Now Fujiko Suzuki had harboured a crush on her boss (not her Big Boss) for years, ever since he had became her boss and she had became his secretary and he had started earning millions for his monthly salary.

She liked to think that she knew him the best, and certainly told her friends so, but only when she was dead drunk. If they were at a karaoke bar she would glorify this comment by incorporating it into a song. Drunk and tone deaf was not a good combination. If a rap was on, the tone deaf factor would not be a problem, but then as most raps repeat the same verse over and over again, it was no wonder Fujiko Suzuki's friends avoided karaoke bars when they were with her.

Yes, Fujiko Suzuki knew everything there is to know about Abarai Renji.

Who called him, where he went, how he liked his coffee, how he work late at night, how he used to attend night school, how many zeros there are in his salary... what else is there?

Most women of the building preferred Kuchiki Byakuya as the man who comes to sweep them off their feet in their dreams, but Fujiko Suzuki was a young woman who was down to earth. Of course, anyone could see that she and Abarai Renji was the perfect couple. How many wives worry that their husbands have affairs with their secretaries? That's how perfect she, the secretary, and him, the boss are together.

As his secretary Fujiko Suzuki would also know how he never, once took a day off. His attendance was perfect, and he was never once sick.

So that was why Fujiko Suzuki was surprised when today, Abarai Renji did not come in to work.

Is the universe going into reverse and is it snowing in the sun? Are roses turning blue and violets red?

Fujiko Suzuki, Abarai Renji's secretary, could only stare blankly at the door as if in denial, for almost an hour when Abarai Renji was still absent.

She decided to call him.

As his secretary, and as a woman. Perhaps this will be how they start off into a personal relationship. Years from now she will be telling their children how it all started, as they all sit on their laughing father's strong lap. The first daughter will be named something feminine. Yuki, maybe? Or perhaps Ichigo. No, no... not Ichigo... that's way too girly.

He did not answer his phone.

On the third call a busy tone was sent, and Fujiko Suzuki did not know what to think, as a secretary , and as a woman. Why was he busy? Was he..... busy with a woman from a successful night yesterday? But today and yesterday were both weekdays. But then it wasn't impossible for Abarai Renji to score on a weekday. That's how well-respected he is. Or maybe he's kidnapped, and the kidnappers were the one who sent the busy tone. Fujiko Suzuki felt excited shivers at this. This is just like in those dramas.

Perhaps he ran away with the company's earnings!! He _had_ been acting odd the entire week.

In the end she decided to call again, but then his phone was turned off. This just made every one of her suspicions stronger. Except the one where he was abducted by monkeys. Monkeys would not know how to send a busy tone AND turn off a phone.

When an awed silence grew outside, as it was usual when Kuchiki Byakuya passed, Fujiko Suzuki drew herself up importantly and marched up to him, the Big Boss. He had a right to know that his No.1 Right Hand Man was missing.

But Kuchiki Byakuya did not look surprised at the news, and only told her coldly to resume her work. However, at the mention of Abarai Renji's name, she distinctly saw his eyes flash in distaste.

Uh-huh. Did Abarai Renji did something to the Big Boss that would lose his favour? Maybe he made a move on the Big Boss, and it turned out that Kuchiki Byakuya was not interested in men. Of all the sudden the zeros were starting to look very shaky.

Fujiko Suzuki made her way back to her desk, her mind occupied with new things. It was interesting how you could learn new things every day. For example, she had never noticed Kuchiki Byakuya's eyelashes to be so thick and full, or his face to be so smooth and perfect.

Oh well. It is always better to aim higher, isn't it?

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Hisagi sighed as he marked some Chemistry papers, his mind elsewhere.

Yesterday night Kira pulled out sleeping bags from nowhere, and they stayed the night with Renji in the store, as the red-haired man was too heavy for them to drag to any of their homes. It made no sense to do so anyway, as it was snowing heavily last night too.

As for the diamond ring...

At four, Hisagi was woken up by some hoarse moaning from Renji, whose head was still stuck onto the counter. Though very much incoherent, it sounded like he was grumbling about something orange.

"Hey..." Hisagi had got up and shook him. He needed to get home early later to get ready to teach. But he wanted to confront his friend.

"I know you liked her, years before..." he mumbled, when Renji opened an unfocused eye to look at him. "But what were you thinking, man??"

He only got a mean, defensive look in return.

So Hisagi held up the small box and stared back at him, using the expectant look he adopted when pulling out truth from delinquents. With the exception of Hitsugaya, it never failed.

"Take it.", rumbled Renji, burying that little visible bit of his face in either shame or disgruntlement. "I don't need it any...more. Take it."

Though this could make the Chemistry teacher suddenly very much richer, selling it was not his intention. He felt as though a strange burden that belonged to someone else was placed on him, despite him not in the position to do anything about it.

"Good morning Hisagi-kuuuun!!!" Matsumoto swept down onto the chair beside him, pulling him back to earth in a shock and causing him to spill ink all over Ishida Uryuu's paper.

Hisagi groaned and tried to clean up the mess. "Matsumoto!!"

"Whoops!! That's too bad, Hisagi-kuuuun." The sex ed teacher said, in a not very sympathetic tone, and helped herself to his donuts.

"H-Hey!! That's my breakfast!!"

"Hm. What are you going to do about that kid's paper then?"

Hisagi dumped the mess of a paper in the waste paper basket and wiped his hands. "It was Ishida Uryuu's. He'll get full marks anyway, I'll just have to record their marks down and hand them that list instead of their papers."

Matsumoto yawned.

"Instead of that, Matsumoto, what do you think of this?"

The strawberry blonde knew Renji. She also knew Rukia. Hisagi thought that she would also give out a good opinion on that matter. She was not stupid, no matter how she acts sometimes.

Her eyes widened as he displayed the glimmering diamond ring. "You wouldn't believe this, Matsumoto... Renji, he-"

"HISAGI-KUN!!!" Matsumoto screamed loudly. "I'm sorry!! I can't!!! "

"...Matsumoto-"

"I know you've been harbouring secret feelings for me ever since we met, but let me tell you, Hisagi-kuuun, lots of men, they are just the same, and I've turned them down, all of them!!"

Kenpachi, the gym teacher, chose that moment to walk past.

"Whut? You're proposing to her?" he rumbled in his deep voice. "Boooring."

Yachiru, his niece who thought herself to be his assistant, jumped up and squealed in a high pitched tone. "That's great, Ken-chan!! That's great news!!"

"No it's not." Hisagi said grumpily, and kept the ring. He did not want the whole world to know. "I'm not-"

"I'm so sorry, Hisagi-kuuun!!" cried Matsumoto, in such a tone that it was hard to tell whether she is serious. "I hope we can still be friends!!"

_Make any more of a scene_, thought an irritated Hisagi, _and we won't be._

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There she is.

All alone at the usual table, because her usual, glaring, frowning, white-haired companion wasn't there.

Ichigo was walking over, the nervous feeling in his guts getting increasingly unfriendly, when he was suddenly blocked by Tatsuki.

"Hiya Ichigo!!" she greeted, and pulled Inoue Orihime out of nowhere. "Come sit with us!! I know you want to."

He was obviously given no choice in the matter, and before he could open his mouth, a very determined Tatsuki had already had an iron grip on his arm and was already dragging him away.

If he was an animal, he would have been howling and whining at Rukia, and then would have the straightforward attitude to bite Tatsuki on the arm, maybe giving her rabies, then he would be free. Too bad he wasn't.

"A-and this is my r-red bean paste lasagne, with homemade red bean cheese made from homemade red bean flavoured milk on top... W-would you like to try some, K-K-K-K-K-K-K-k-k-K-Kurosaki-kun?"

"..." He was in the foulest of moods right now, but even then... the retarded girl _was_ to be pitied, after all, with her being slower than the average Shinigami.

"I have no appetite. So just a bite, please."

"What?? Just a bite?" Tatsuki cried, and piled it on his plate, so that it overflowed with red mush, and green bits of what looked like bread... except that it was, well, green.

"What the-?" Ichigo hissed. "I can't finish all this!!" Already his stomach was reeling with disgust.

Tatsuki clutched her own peanut butter and jelly sandwich and grinned at him. "Well, I know you would want to, after tasting the first bite, so shouldn't you thank me for saving you the trouble?"

This raven-haired tomboy was at first a great source of teen earthling language, and he learned most of their customs from her, but then she was starting to be a great pain in the NECK.

Ichigo took one miserly bite.

_BLUERGH._

That was his first thought, but then on the surface he was chewing rhythmically and trying to temporarily deactivate his taste buds.

Orihime smiled happily at the floor.

After the tenth swallow, Ichigo thought his insides felt numb, and the weird, overly sweet taste began to flatten out as well. Maybe his taste buds were dying.

So he felt it was safe to talk without throwing up.

"What's this green stuff, anyway?" Good. His voice didn't sound strangled.

Orihime launched into a stuttering explanation of how she made her own lasagne sheets with wheatgrass and crabgrass and lemongrass, and while she was busy saying that to her own knees, and Tatsuki watching her with an encouraging expression, Ichigo snatched that opportunity to sneak a glance at his favourite Shinigami.

She was looking as delicate as always, yet strong as Ichigo knew she was. He felt something warm in his chest, and he was quite sure it was not heartburn.

She was eating a cafeteria sandwich, and seemed quite deep in thought.

Then she looked up at him, and gave a shaky smile.

Ichigo blushed and sank into a surly mood, as a desperate attempt to disguise his suddenly jubilant feelings. "Hey." He mouthed. That was all he could bring himself to say, despite having a billion questions racing around in his mind before. Now everything was numb to him, the odd taste in his mouth was gone, the confusion in his mind was shoved to the back of his head, and all that remained was how pretty she looked when she smiled.

Rukia looked as though she wanted to talk to him, too.

"...so there's soccer practice later, you coming, right?" Tatsuki was saying. "After your awesome display of soccer prowess?"

Outside was cloudy, but Ichigo was thinking, _what fine weather we have today._

But even then he shook his head. He wanted to walk Rukia home. Catch up with her, since they had not had proper time together since forever, or so it felt. That old man Toushiro wasn't around to get in the way, either. Ichigo felt like there was hope.

He continued to watch Rukia out of the corner of his eye, as Tatsuki ranted on and on , as she did the entire time during lessons , about how the team would love him to officially join them. But the orange-haired alien did not feel annoyance at all; the only thing he felt was a terrible itch to join Rukia at her table.

The red bean lasagne thing was pure poison. Ichigo started to see flashing dots before he was halfway through.

Then he saw their Chemistry teacher pass by.

Not that it was of a big deal, but then what caught Ichigo's attention was how Hisagi was looking at Rukia from behind. The punkish looking man was wearing a thoughtful expression, and he lightly, subconsciously touched his right pocket before moving on.

How odd. Maybe that didn't really happen, and it was actually the lasagne that was causing hallucinations.

Ichigo turned back to his disgusting-looking meal, before noticing that the girls were giggling to themselves.

Tatsuki was saying something about their sex ed teacher, Matsumoto, and Hisagi getting engaged, but Ichigo ignored it as soon as he heard it. That sort of thing was boring.

Except when Renji proposed to Rukia. Of course, that wasn't boring.

He sighed to himself and wished fervently that he could be at the other table.

Suddenly a huge shadow loomed over them.

"Oh... hey, Chad." Ichigo looked up at the giant, who was carrying a stack of books. "Where were you?"

Chad did not reply, instead, he put down the fat volumes of books next to Ichigo, and then made to squeeze next to him.

"Whoa!!" Ichigo jumped up from the table, and Chad, unblinkingly, took his seat. The gentle giant pointed at Ichigo's plate."Are you going to finish this?" he rumbled in his deep voice.

"...You can have it if you like." Ichigo said, a little too quickly, and he avoided Orihime's eyes.

Without any hesitation, Chad started to shovel large spoonfuls of red bean gloop into his mouth, making Ichigo shudder. As a Vaizard he had seen many things so gory it could melt an ordinary human's brain, but then he had never seen such concoctions before.

Orihime and Tatsuki was stunned silent at Chad 's lack of manners, and only watched Ichigo for his response. The Vaizard was a little surprised at Chad's sudden rudeness as well, but then as he caught the giant's eye, Chad gave him a knowing look, and went back to helping Ichigo finish.

Ichigo's appreciation for Chad shot up a thousand points on a one-to-hundred scale, and he said to Tatsuki, "Oh well!! I think I'll go ask how's Toushiro's coping, since I hurt him yesterday. Bye, Tatsuki, see ya, Inoue."

And ignoring the stares from the two girls, he practically skipped over to Rukia's table.

"Hey." He breathed.

She smiled at him, the sight brighter than a thousand stars burning, purer than the light of the white moon on the inky night sky, more beautiful than silver moonlight on the clearest of ice.

"S-So... how're you doing?" he asked, sitting down in front of her. "Yesterday was quite a shock, to everyone, I think."

Not that he knew anything, or been around long enough to think so. He was just trying to show his ability to empathise, to prove that he was better than Renji.

"...I'm sorry I chased you out yesterday." Her tone was light and casual. It would almost seem as though she was poking fun at the fact. But then hope suggested that she was doing that just to make sure the ears around them did not think them too intimate already.

"No worries." He shrugged it off.

"Really? I think it snowed pretty heavily from about midnight on, right?" Rukia said, with a concerned note. "Did you get in before that? Were you okay?"

"Obviously. Haven't I mention before the ability of the Vaizard suit that would keep us at a comfortable temperature no matter wh-"

"Yes, yes, you have." She said impatiently, with an anxious look around. "...I think we should talk later, don't you think?"

"...Yeah, guess so." He felt quite dejected of all the sudden, but then the fact that she wanted to talk later made him feel better.

Ichigo wondered about his recent mood swings. As a Vaizard this was a new experience to him, since Vaizards do not show that much emotion.

But being with Rukia reminded Kurosaki Ichigo 15xv about something that he had not felt for a very very long time, ever since his mother died. As he had locked away practically every memory about that incident, feeling something that was similar to what he felt as a child was extremely painful, but this did not stop him now from grinning lopsidedly at the raven-haired girl.

Rukia watched him uncomfortably as he continued gazing at her. She was very well aware that people were starting to whisper.

"The one day that HItsugaya kid's not around and he's moving in on his territory already."

"Kuchiki always have a spare just in case, huh?"

"I heard that that orange-haired kid is in a gang. And he injured Hitsugaya on purpose to snatch his girl."

These people never seem to really care that she could hear them. Rukia sighed at all these untruths and drained the last of her juice. "I'm going to class, see you, Ichigo."

The alien, who did not seem to be aware of the gossiping, got up too. "I'll go with you. "

"...I don't need you to accompany me."

Ichigo gave out a bark of laughter. "As if!! I need to get back to class myself, don't I?"

Rukia sulked, unconvinced and slightly embarrassed. Maybe she had been too used to Hitsugaya insisting on walking her everywhere that she automatically thought that Ichigo was going to do the same.

"So how's my little Chappy maniac doing?" teased Ichigo, as they walked along the corridor.

"Shut up. I'm fine."

"O rly?" the alien said disbelievingly. "I know_ I_ won't be fine if a red-haired, tattooed baboon just barged into my chappy-infested room and proposed to me."

Despite herself, Rukia couldn't help but smile. "...I would like to see that."

They reached the classroom, and there, his raven-haired Shinigami said, "...Maybe we shouldn't go in together." Since it was bad if their familiarity with each other led to others discovering that they were living together. In the same room.

Ichigo grunted, and head to the library.

What's the use of going to this Shinigami school if he's supposed to spent all his time there _away_ from the one Shinigami he cared about?

Was he even needed here, or anywhere else around her?

She didn't need him. Byakuya stopped her crying, and she has Hitsugaya to make her smile, anytime she liked.

He scowled at some passing students, and tried to push the negative thoughts from his mind.

She smiled at him, didn't she? As she met his eye?

Shouldn't that be enough?

0000000000000

"Say, you wanna come over to my place after soccer practice?" Tatsuki asked her long-haired companion, as they walked to the girl's locker room to change. "You can sleep over too, and we can, er... talk about boys allll night!!"

"Eh?" Orihime pouted out her lips in bemusement, making a few passing boys stare in interest. "Since when did Tatsuki-chan like talking about boys?"

"You idiot." Tatsuki replied. "I meant talk about _one_ boy."

"Huh? But that's no fair!!" Orihime cried. "If you want to talk about one person, the other people that you_ don't_ talk about will feel left out, won't they?"

The raven-haired tomboy sighed exasperatedly. "No, hime. I meant Kurosaki Ichigo. When are you gonna ask him out already??"

"E-EEEh??" Orihime started blushing, and shook her head vigorously. "I-I can't, Tatsuki-chan!! He ran away to talk to Kuchiki-san after Sado-san came."

"...It's that what you've been depressed about, for the last few hours?" Tatsuki asked in disbelief. "I thought it was obvious that it was great news!!"

"What do you mean?"

"Weeell, he's clearly more into you now, he was so nervous that he was all pale and sweaty while eating your lasagne."

"R-really?"

"Yeah, I thought he was going to throw up or something, looking so sick, just because he was with you." Tatsuki mused. "Then he kept looking away while trying to hide that blush of his."

"But then he still ran away.." said Orihime sadly.

"Psh!! Of course, he can't stand being so nervous,!! A man can only take so much!!" Tatsuki gestured at Orihime's curvy body. "I never thought a man good enough for you would come, hime. But then he's gentleman enough to not look at your boobs while speaking to you, and he's an awesome soccer player... and that's good enough for me!!"

"H-He's really handsome too... and he smells nice.", murmured Orihime.

"Yup, his soccer skills are out of this world." Tatsuki said to herself. "I WILL make him join the team!! And you, hime, you WILL ask him out!!"

"I will?" the long-haired girl said, blushing already at the thought of it. "I thought it's the guys who asked the girls."

"I told you!! He's too much of a gentleman!!" Tatsuki said firmly. "That means he's too much of a wuss to ask you out!!"

"..?"

"Yeah well, you want a date with him, right?" Tatsuki asked.

"Of course I do!!"

"You wanna marry him right?? And have eight babies??"

"...Tatsuki-chan.." Orihime mumbled, embarrassed. "Only six."

"Well, then, you gotta make the move then!! " Tatsuki slammed her fist into her palm. "Don't worry, I'll teach you how tonight."

"...You're a good friend, Tatsuki-chan."

"Ceh, it's nothing.", the tomboy grinned. Then something caught her eye and she looked out of the window. "Hm? Who's that?"

Orihime looked too, and saw a red-haired man leaning on the school's entrance gate, frowning to himself. His hair was in a loose ponytail, and he looked very much like a gangster who got fired on his first day at work, and tried to drown his sorrows, except that he woke up with a hangover that felt ten times worse. Or maybe a guy who got thrown out of the house by his wife, and spent days wandering the streets, homeless.

"Weird guy." Tatsuki commented, and steered Orihime to the lockers room. "C'mon, hime, we don't want your eyes getting dirty staring at hobos like him."

000000000000000

Ichigo had spent the last few hours staring at the back of Kuchiki Rukia's head, and now he continued to do so, as he watched her walked quickly out of the classroom.

She obviously does not want him to walk her home.

The orange-haired Vaizard went to the window, as the rest of his classmates chatted while packing up to go home. Near the entrance gate, he saw the two servants from that Ukitake's mansion bickering with each other, probably waiting for Rukia.

Then he caught a glimpse of red.

Renji was lurking near the entrance, his arms folded together and looking very much murderous.

Ichigo's insides froze, as he saw that Rukia was heading straight towards Renji. But then the two servants hurried towards her, and practically sandwiched her side by side as she walked out the entrance gate. Though that might have been unnecessary. Even as he saw Rukia, Renji turned to face the other direction and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible.

In that case...

Ichigo dumped his books into his bag and made his way out of the classroom, down the stairs, and out into Sereitei High's compound.

He strode over towards Renji, where he knew the red-haired man was waiting for him. The Vaizard then made to walk past him, but unsurprisingly, Renji called out.

"Hey. You Kurosaki Ichigo?" said his hoarse voice softly. It rang of killing intent. But Ichigo did not care. He was angry with the tattooed man for making Rukia cry.

"Yeah, I am." He replied, turning to face the man, who towered over him. He felt a strange relief at finally being able to confront him, as he was uncomfortable listening in on their conversation last night while not being able to do anything. "So who's asking?"

Abarai Renji. Abarai Renji. The idiot, the inconsiderate baboon...

"Abarai Renji." The red-haired Shinigami answered. "I'm an old friend of Rukia's."

Ichigo looked at his bloodshot eyes and rumpled shirt, and wondered how many times Renji had thrown up this morning before coming here. He looked even more terrible and pale up close.

"Yeah? Funny, she never mentioned you." Ichigo replied, and felt a spiteful satisfaction as Renji grimaced.

"Well... I suppose we have too much of a complicated past for her to be comfortably telling everybody about it."

Ichigo reckoned that the tattooed Shinigami noticed the icy edge in his tone earlier, and thus swiftly returned a blow. He was sharper than Ichigo gave him credit for.

"Huh. Maybe she has moved on." Ichigo suggested, while flicking some imaginary dirt off his winter school uniform. "Has that occurred to you?"

This set the red-haired man off, as he was already in a bad mood; a throbbing headache from the hangover, a bitter feeling in the back of his throat, and his heart so heavy it felt as though it was stone. "Don't fool around with me." Renji hissed, "You don't even _know _her. You been around her for days, and I was her closest friend for years."

At this Ichigo was shaken; this was where deep down, he was afraid it was true. He did not know Rukia. Not her history, not why she cried. This was important, because she was not someone who would cry for nothing, and as Ichigo could not comfort her if he did not know her past, playing a main part in her future was unlikely.

"So what is it that got you?" Renji was saying in a nasty tone. "Her looks? Her brother's money? Don't think you're the first one to do that. "

"Shut up." Ichigo gritted his teeth. "Just because she rejected you, you're here to spite me?"

Renji stiffened momentarily at 'rejected', and without asking how the alien knew, he said firmly, "I'm here to tell you to leave her alone, nothing else."

"You leave us alone."

Renji gritted his teeth at his reply. "I'm telling you, leave her alone, or else."

All the Vaizard did was leer at him, and rudely turned to leave. Except that an angry Renji pulled him back and slammed him against the wall with surprisingly fierce strength. Though he was shocked, the Vaizard pulled himself together so quickly that he was composed even as Renji first caught hold of the back of his collar, and it was actually that Ichigo allowed him that he was able to pin the alien against that wall.

This was because Ichigo wanted an excuse to beat him up.

"You have five seconds to let me go." The orange-haired alien said quietly, "before I introduce your face to the ground."

"You would do that?" Renji said in a mocking tone. "I bet Rukia wouldn't like that very much now, would she?"

"... Why would she care what happen to _you_?" Ichigo sneered in reply, though the seed of doubt had already taken place.

"Just like I said, you don't know her at all."

In response, the Vaizard shoved him forcefully away. Though he had used less than half of his full strength, it was still terribly strong for a Shinigami to take, and Renji stumbled and fell to the ground.

People were gathering around then to watch at a safe distance, but the curious onlookers did not bother either Ichigo or Renji.

Recovering with startling speed, the red-haired man sprang up and attacked Ichigo in a fury. The Vaizard blocked his assault effortlessly, and had to limit himself within Shinigami boundaries as he pulled back his fist to smash into that hated face... his amber eyes glinting with the anticipated satisfaction he was going to receive from this..

"KUROSAKI ICHIGO!!!!!!!" said a furious, known voice. "Stop this immediately!!"

He froze in the mid-punch, and lowered his arm in disappointment.

While Renji struggled away from his clutch, Hisagi shouted to the crowd to disperse. "Show's over!! Now go away!!"

A few schoolgirls giggled.

"Now," Hisagi hissed to Renji, who hung about with a stony expression on his face. "WHAT do you think you're doing?!!"

Ichigo folded his arms and watched this in interest.. He never knew that these two knew each other.

"Are you still drunk or something?" Hisagi was saying angrily. "Coming here to make a scene like that-" But Renji bluntly ignored him. He continued glaring at Ichigo, his unblinking, bloodshot eyes getting increasingly unnerving.

"I can't allow this.." the red-haired man mumbled sourly. "He doesn't even respect her... or himself."

"Why would you say that?" asked Ichigo in a mockingly pleasant tone.

There was a silence, as Renji stared at him in disbelief, and slight amusement. "You mean you don't _know_??" he cried, with an empty bark of laughter. "You really don't know her at all, do you?"

At this, a chill slid down Ichigo's spine, as though Renji had slipped a block of ice down his back.

"What do you mean?" his voice was uncontrollably strangled.

Renji's voice now had a hint of triumph in it. "What do _I_ mean? Why don't you ask her? The reason why you appeal to her?"

Something lunged in Ichigo's chest at the last sentence, but then it was replaced by a frozen feeling that was terribly painful.

Renji waited for this to sink in, and smirked when it did, as Ichigo's face grew more and more tortured.

"Renji..." Hisagi muttered disapprovingly. "You aren't going to-"

"Shut it. He needs to know the truth, shouldn't he?" said Renji, grinning like a maniac.

"What truth?" snapped Ichigo, and this delighted Renji even more.

Hisagi sighed to himself. Even a drug dealer shouldn't be treated like this.

"Hey you... scumbag." Renji called, "Do you care for her?"

"...Yeah." Ichigo replied hestitantly.

"You are reminding her of her painful past, do you know that?" Renji's grin shrank into a bitter smile. "Your face makes it harder for her to let go."

Ichigo put on an unaffected expression, but the corner of his lips twitched, as though he was longing to roar out that Renji was lying. Yet he did not trust himself to speak.

Renji smiled sadistically. "So... You ever heard of Shiba Kaien?"

"That's enough!!" Hisagi suddenly yelled, and grabbed Renji by the shoulder. "You come with me before you say something even more regrettable."And glancing at a pale Ichigo, he said sympathetically, "Don't take that to heart. He's just suffering from a very bad hangover."

But the damage was already done.

Renji proved that he knew this by shooting a smirk over his broad shoulders as Hisagi marched him away.

The Vaizard turned to leave as well, not knowing nor caring where he went... as long as it was away from that place.

He felt detached from his legs, and they continued to stride rhythmically even when he willed them to stop.

What is this hollow, hollow feeling?

He did not question the truthfulness behind Abarai Renji's words, as he knew... intuitively...

What was he, Ichigo15xv, doing here?? He did not belong here. A Vaizard can never be accepted by Shinigami, after all.

That night... in the pouring rain as he begged her to go with him, what did she call him, in her feverish state?

Kaien-dono.

It felt as though the icy droplets of the rain had striked directly through his heart.

All the time he spent with her, all those moments, seemed empty and fake now, as though they were on a cheap series which the male protagonist there was a cheap lookalike instead of the real thing.

So all this time, every smile that she gave him, was for this... this Shiba Kaien?

Every time she looked at him, she was seeing her Kaien-dono, instead of him?

And all this time, unknown to him, seeing his face was torturing her.

Ichigo knew that he did not belong in the Shinigami world. In their school, their environment, their fields. But then he had stayed only because he had thought he belonged in a certain raven-haired shinigami's room, and especially her heart. But now...

He who protects. It is an empty name now.

Especially since he was the one who was causing her pain.

She did not need him... no one here did. He was even hurting her, the only one he cared about.

_Very well then... if that was the case_, Ichigo thought hollowly. This will be pure anguish to him, but better him than her. Any day.

He'll just stick around in case Grimmjow tries to harm her again. He promised her that, after all. But he will not cause her any more suffering by his presence, now that he knows. He'll stay far away, keeping her only in sight, for her safety.

Though his fondest wish was to be with her, to comfort, defend and care for her...

He will protect her, by staying away.

000000000000000

**A/N: End of Chapter Something!! I cant even remember which number I'm up to... =(**

**So how was this chapter? I think it was too long... and the Ichigo vs Renji part, I did it about every three lines a night at 3 am, so I think the quality's really bad. I hope you guys get the main picture though. Fujiko Suzuki was made up on the spot. I don't think she'll come up in future chapters... I don't like her very much. But I did enjoyed writing about her love for Renji. **

**I knoes I hav lots of grammar mistakes , and i would appreciate it iff you would poent it out for me. Since I can't read.**

**I suppose this chapter is for the people who nagged at me to update. I grumble. =D**


	15. My little Shinigami

_Tra la la la _

_I thank all my readers, and I appreciate all my reviews alot. Alot. And alot._

_Thank you all. _

_Yeah!!_

_Shinigami-_A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

_Vaizard-_Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

_Arrancar_-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

_Chappy_-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

* * *

Now what would be the best for a white-haired child prodigy who acts like a grumpy old man?

Rukia picked up a tacky looking snow globe and shook it. Little bits of glitter floated down on a purple snowman who had a twisted, evil grin on it's face.

Feeling creeped out, the raven-haired girl put it down quickly and left the aisle. Kiyone and Sentarou's bickering could be heard even though they were at the other end of the shop. Rukia hoped that they being here wouldn't be any trouble for Ukitake, but then she had a feeling that the white-haired man would appreciate a little peace and quiet.

She paused briefly at the candy aisle and wondered if Hitsugaya would like it if she followed Ukitake's example by showering candy on him. After all, he did look like a little boy and Rukia was sure that he secretly liked candy.

She decided she'll save the candy as a last resort. This was supposed to cheer him up, after all. It wouldn't help if he was sulking at being treated like a kid.

But then Rukia picked up a few bars of chocolate, and a ribboned box of assorted ones, as Ichigo loved chocolate.

She smiled to herself as she pictured him guzzling them down, while still trying to deny that he enjoyed them.

This would be an apology gift then, for being so rude to him yesterday, and for practically running away from the classroom today. She was sure he noticed it too, and that added to her guilt.

But then it was extremely risky if they chatted freely in public. She didn't make friends that easily, and in school the only person she talked with was Hitsugaya, thus making it look very suspicious if she and Ichigo expressed their familiarity.

She was terrified that he may get caught, and shipped off to this scary lab where they dissected aliens, cell by cell. If that ever happened to Ichigo, she would never forgive herself.

With his fierce scowl, people may think that he is violent and would want to lock him up in some terrible someplace for aliens, but Rukia knew that he wasn't aggressive at all. In fact, he was very caring and sweet, though he was a cocky idiot at times.

Come to think of it, she had not seen Ichigo in his true form in ages. Though it only includes minor changes, such as his feelers and three fingers instead of four...

And that eyesore, that Vaizard suit which is a little too tight, but then allowed her to see his very well-toned abs..

Rukia blushed and shook her head to rid herself of that thought.

Well, it would seem that Ichigo was comfortably adjusting to human life.

_That's good._ She thought. It would be boring for him to stay locked up in her room all the time, after all.

"_But wasn't it hot??", _snickered a sneaky little voice inside her head, a voice that she had never heard before. _"A sexy guy in your room, who lived in your cupboard and laid on your bed at times.."_

"_Who knows you and only you.."the voice giggled. "Aren't you scared that he would get stolen away?"_

Rukia felt confused as the voice continued to snigger. She was only getting chocolate for him, what's so strange about that?

"Ooh!!" Rukia cried as she spotted a very suitable gift, thus drowning out the annoying voice.

It was a walking cane.

She smiled in good humor as she thought of how fitting it was for Hitsugaya. He sprained his ankle, and he liked to be thought as mature....so...

She tried hard not to smile as she went to the paying counter. He would grumble alot, but then that would also help lift his mood. She had often observed that complaining made her white-haired friend less grumpy. Perhaps that was his version of a cheerful mood.

"Look!! You were babbling so much nonsense that Kuchiki-sama is already done shopping, you stupid witch!!" Sentarou growled, while Kiyone bristled angrily.

"Um... can we go now?" Rukia said uncomfortably.

"Of course, Kuchiki-sama!!" they saluted, and marched smartly by her sides.

As they went out into the cold, Kiyone and Sentarou complained and shivered, but then Rukia merely smiled at the beautiful white snow... at least, the pure snow still covering rooftops instead of the slush they were walking in.

The raven-haired girl felt sorry that Hitsugaya had to miss all this... they both enjoyed walking in the snow and ice-skating... practically everything that had to do with snow.

Of all the sudden, a very violent gust of wind unravelled her scarf from around her neck, and blew it over a wall, and into someone's garden.

"I'll get your scarf for you, Kuchiki-sama!!" yelled Kiyone, and practically flew over the wall. "You retard!!" shouted Sentarou, going after her, "You're not capable of fetching a leaf from a forest!! I'm the one who's going to get Kuchiki-sama's scarf!!"

And then Rukia was left alone to contemplate why there was such an abrupt and strong wind appearing when there weren't any breeze for entire day. And now it settled back to being still... but then Rukia heard light, slow, footsteps making crispy noises in the snow.

She turned to face the owner of the light feet, and saw a pale young man with raven hair walking towards her. He wore a white, high collared jacket, that was zipped up all the way, that shows his slender yet fairly well-built figure. He wore all white, except for black shoes.

"Hello." He greeted her, and she felt a strange numbness spreading down her spine. His voice was low and deep... with only one word, it had conveyed an iciness that Rukia had never experienced before. _And_ she lived with Byakuya.

Rukia tried to return a "hi," but she couldn't. It would seem that her throat had been glued tight.

"I'm Ulquiorra Schiffer, your neighbour." He said very quietly and very coldly, as though murmuring a death threat instead of a supposedly friendly greeting. "I live in the house opposite yours?"

The one that had people moved in a couple of months ago, and the one that she assumed that Grimmjow lives in, too.

"It is nice meeting you." The white-faced man, Ulquiorra, said monotonously, as though reading from a script. "I would be honoured to make your acquaintance."

Rukia was aware that she was being very rude, staring at this man with bulging eyes and quivering lips, but the questions racing through her mind just wouldn't allow her to say anything.

Does this mean this thin man with skin so white it was almost colourless... is a friend of Grimmjow's? And if so, is he as dangerous as the green-haired man?

Does he know about Ichigo, too?

Rukia gulped but tried to smile, as she thought that he looked the type that was always polite and refined, just to be deadlier than any other criminal on the inside. Her smile turned out crooked.

"H-Hello." She stuttered, and looked to the filthy slush on the ground, as she could not bear eye contact... especially with such curious emerald orbs... that looked as though they were transparent, and made you feel that way too. "...I-It's nice meeting you too."

Lies.

She was now wishing desperately that Kiyone and Sentarou would come back. This dark-haired man gave her the creeps, and his presence somehow intoxicated the atmosphere, making it harder and harder to breathe.

"I understand that you met my housemate, Grimmjow." Ulquiorra said, slowly, as though he detested mentioning the name.

Rukia froze.

"I am very sorry." He stated, though he did not look sorry at all. He only looked callous, dispassionate, uninterested, melancholic, and very very pale. "I will make sure he does not upset you again."

"...Uh...thank you...I guess."Rukia muttered, and bowed her head. She wondered if this somewhat gloomy-looking man was on parole like Grimmjow, or so said Tousen. Not that she had trouble believing it.

"Do not worry about it, Miss..."

"Kuchiki Rukia." She said by reflex, and regretted it immediately. Though normally she wouldn't object to being well-acquainted with neighbours, her instincts screamed that Ulquiorra was not the type of neighbour you could buddy up to and share your freshly baked cookies with.

"Well, Miss Kuchiki, it was a pleasure making your acquaintance." The raven-haired man said in an emotionless tone. "If you would excuse me, I'll have to go now."

"...Sure, I mean, g-goodbye." Rukia stammered, and watched as he passed her.

He had no change of tone at all, nor expression. It was very unnerving to be around him, and she couldn't well deny that she was glad to see him leave.

_I never ever want to talk to him again, _she thought firmly.

"Oh yes, one more thing." Ulquiorra said, turning around as he stopped, ten feet away from her. "That boyfriend of yours, I would suggest that you two do not spend so much time together in your room. I'm sure your brother will find out eventually."

Then, with a slow, almost mocking nod of his head, Ulquiorra left, leaving a shocked Rukia with newly-inspired needs to talk to him again.

* * *

In that long street filled with houses, where she talked with her neighbour, or rather, was scared witless by her neighbour, there were no others.

No normal-looking people who were secretly her bodyguards...nobody. Not even birds in the trees.

So that ruled out the possibility that Byakuya would find out about Ichigo by what Ulquiorra had said. Though of course, the melancholic man might say something like that in future to Byakuya, and that was what that scared Rukia.

She _had_ to talk to him again. Plead with him, not to tell.

Rukia squirmed in her seat with that thought.

"Hey." Hitsugaya grumbled. "What's up with you? You didn't even smile when you handed me that ridiculous stick. And now you're spacing out. What happened today?

"Nothing." She shrugged it off, and tried to look like her usual self, despite knowing that the white-haired boy could see straight through her. "Were you bored all alone, Toushiro? "

"I dunno." He tapped the walls with his cane. "I was sleeping the whole time."

It seemed that he likes the cane, she noticed happily, though he had complained loudly about it when she gave it to him.

The chocolates she slipped under her chair, though she was sure Hitsugaya had noticed that they were chocolates despite the tied up plastic bag. And that he had noticed that they weren't for him.

"Would you like me to read you a story, Toushiro?" Rukia said brightly, as the boy gave a broad yawn.

"Why would I want you to do that?" he said jeeringly. "I can read, can't I?"

"...I suppose so." She muttered, and wondered why she didn't notice earlier the many books littered all over the bed and the floor. It was just that, when she used to be sick as a child, Renji read to her alot, though he often mispronounced lots of words, and never understood a word of any of the stories.

There was a brief silence between them, as Rukia was feeling awkward while Hitsugaya stonily remained silent as he determinedly stared at her for tell him what was bothering her.

"So!! I overheard someone saying that Hisagi-sensei is engaged to Matsumoto-sensei." Rukia said enthusiastically, as she was spooked by the intensity of his gaze. "I never expected that, did you?"

"No, and I don't believe it either. "

"Aw, you're just saying that coz you dislike Matsumoto-sensei, right?" Rukia said lightly, relieved that he had seemingly dropped the subject. "I think it's quite cute, really, her calling you 'Taichou."

"I wish she would stop with that stupid nickname already." Hitsugaya grumbled, "And quit hugging me every time she sees me in the corridors, that stupid cow."

Once, the class was forced to play a little game the sex ed teacher organized to help them understand the fact that hugging the opposite sex DOES NOT REALLY MAKE YOU PREGNANT, while Hitsugaya was randomly named captain to supervise the entire thing. She had suddenly pounced on him and hugged him tightly into her chest as he was pointing out to the strawberry blonde that nobody ever thinks like that anymore, not even kindergarteners. The intense hug had left all the boys red and breathless, the only one who was like so only because of suffocation being Hitsugaya.

"See, kids?" Matsumoto said cheerfully, ignoring Hitsugaya's gasps for air. "Taichou here did not impregnate me!! Let's give him a clap!!"

And he had hated her ever since.

"Love seems to be in the air, even though it's supposed to be only like that in spring." Rukia said, wistfully.

"And lust during summer, with all those beach parties and bikinis."

Rukia ignored the last statement. "Inoue's fallen for someone too, isn't that nice?"

"Why should I care?"

"Don't be mean!" Rukia said stoutly. "I think love is a wonderful thing! And Inoue is so popular among the guys too. Whoever she's crushing on is a very lucky guy."

"She's a complete retard. I doubt any guy would stick around too long."

"Toushiro! How could you call her retarded?" Rukia cried. But she couldn't think of anything that could prove him wrong.

"She hallucinates alot." Hitsugaya said, in a bored tone.

"So what?" the raven-haired girl said indignantly. "People think that's cute!"

"Uh-huh." Her companion replied. "What do you think then?"

This made Rukia very quiet. Anything she would say now, in accordance to the truth, would not help strengthen her claim at all. She admitted defeat. "Okay, let's talk about something else."

"Fine by me. Who are those chocolates for?"

"I bought them for myself, since I thought you hated being given candy. Childish candy." Rukia said swiftly.

"Hm. I thought you liked the bars filled with strawberry sauce." Hitsugaya said keenly. "Don't tell me they were out?"

"Nah." Said Rukia in a very smooth tone. "I just didn't feel like having those today. Not in the mood for strawberries."

"I see." Hitsugaya said, smiling a disbelieving smile. "And you can finish all those blocks of chocolate?"

"Would you like some?" Rukia offered, in a very sweet voice.

"Of course." Hitsugaya said, smiling so coldly it was almost like a leer. "I wouldn't mind some, actually."

"You should have told me sooner. I would have bought it for you, instead of for me." Rukia huffed playfully, and took out a bar of chocolate.

"Kiyone!!" Hitsugaya called suddenly, giving the floor sharp taps with his new cane, very much like how bed-ridden old men do.

The maid flew in at once, and saluted unnecessarily. "Yessir, Hitsugaya-sama, sir? Anything that would prove me a better servant than that useless pig Sentarou outside, sir?"

"I would like some fruits, please."

"Right!!"

Rukia had broke off a few pieces of the chocolate and offered them to Hitsugaya. He ate one, and watched Rukia placed another in her mouth.

"You know, white chocolate taste nicer. I could go for some right now." He said pleasantly.

Rukia had about four of these bars left, she was sure Ichigo wouldn't mind if she brought back three instead.

"I do have some. Wait, let me unwrap it."

Hitsugaya gestured for the bag of chocolates. "Let me see what else you've got in there."

He emptied it out, and the chocolates fell on the bed next to the unwrapped one. "Oh, what a pretty little box of chocolates." He said snidely, picking the ribboned box up.

"Yeah, I like how cute it is, too." Rukia said defensively. "The mint ones look good, don't they?"

"It's perfect as a gift." Her white-haired companion stated conversationally. "How, absolutely, _charming_."

Rukia knew where he was going with this, and she continued to smile stonily as she said, "Yeah, you want to try some of the dark ones? They look really tasty."

"Oh sure." Hitsugaya said, and Rukia ripped the ribbons off as heartlessly as she could.

Kiyone chose this moment to enter. "Hitsugaya-sama!! I brought tinned pineapples, oranges, apples, honeydew, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries!!" she announced, holding up a huge bowl of magnificently decorated pieces of fruits, some which were carved to resemble Ukitake's head. "That was all the fruits I could find in our house, but please enjoy anyway, Hitsugaya-sama, Kuchiki-sama!!"

Rukia wondered if the fruits would taste nice, since it was not the season for any of them. But then Ukitake's smiling face etched into an apple was enough to lose her appetite. Kiyone had even made strawberry syrup drool down the carved edge which was the fruit Ukitake's mouth to resemble the blood that he sometimes cough up.

"Hm ." Hitsugaya said, looking at an unwrapped chocolate. "Thanks for the hard work, Kiyone. Would you like some chocolate?"

"Oh yes, please!!" Kiyone said happily, and came forward. "You wouldn't mind, do you, Kuchiki-sama?"

"Of course not." Rukia smiled, a genuine one this time. "Help yourself."

Kiyone beamed at her, and really did helped herself.

Rukia could only watch with increasing disbelief as Kiyone steadily devoured more and more chocolate, until there was only half a bar left, from the original amount of five bars and one box.

"You're so generous, Kuchiki-sama!!" Kiyone grinned, and clapped her on the back.

"A-Are you sure you wouldn't want to finish the last one?" Rukia said, but the maid shook her head, "Of course not!! That would be greedy!!"

As Kiyone left the room, humming, Hitsugaya laid back on his pillow and said in a mild tone, "Sorry about your chocolates. I'll treat you to lunch when my ankle heals."

"...It's ok." She said, "I'll just buy some more later."

"Really? Why is that?" the white-haired genius asked. His teal orbs were back on her. "I was under the impression that you weren't really that hungry for chocolate. After all, you ate only three small pieces."

Rukia felt very irritated of all the sudden. It has nothing to do with him whether she was taking chocolates to a seemingly violent orange-haired guy. Shouldn't Hitsugaya know that she could take care of herself?

But, knowing that she would be proven incapable if she pointed this out, all she did to vent her frustration is to reach for her favourite fruit, and one by one, she made the strawberries disappear.

"Say...these are really sweet." She remarked, popping another into her mouth, and didn't notice Hitsugaya turning away from her to frown at the frosted window.

He didn't say another word for the rest of her visit, and she had no choice but to leave, escorted by two servants, and plenty of unseen bodyguards.

* * *

"First of all, you gotta put more confidence in your boobs!!" Tatsuki said, banging the table for emphasis. "Why have them if you don't use them to get your man, hm?"

Orihime only nodded ferociously, and scribbled this down in her notebook. She started with "boobs with confidence," but then she began to drift off into a daydream where her Prince Ichigo took her out on a date with Snow White, and the two girls were racing over a rainbow to prove that strawberries are better than apples. Then Ichigo turned into a leprechaun, and looked so hot.

"Thrust them up and ask him straight!!" Tatsuki roared, slightly tipsy from the ramen that Orihime cooked for dinner, and only because there were lots of sake in the chocolate soup. "DO YOU WANT TO BE MY BOYFRIEND?!"

"Um..." Orihime mumbled. "Okay? D-Do you want to be-"

"NO!! Ask him louder!! This guy is the first who actually look you in the eye when you talk, and not at your boobs, so you better snatch him!! Before you realize he's gay or something!"

"Er.."

"Thrust!! Boobs!!"

"But I don't understand, Tatsuki-chan. Why use my boobs when you say that he doesn't look at them?"

"Because that's how you kill them males!!" she hissed, her face all red from the alchohol. "And he actually respects you... though I'll kill him if he breaks your heart, hime."

"...I'm scared he'll reject me when I ask."

"Well, he won't. Definitely." Her raven-haired companion growled.

"...Do you think he likes Kuchiki-san now? Since he walked her back to class... and we haven't talked to him since then."

Tatsuki shook her head, and even gave her friend a sudden shove. "Don't go thinking those negative thoughts!! This guy ain't the type to change lovers easily, I can tell."

And that was the only spark of truth in the entire sea of illusion.

0000000000000

Rukia had waited for Kiyone and Sentarou to leave before heading out again to the nearest convenience store.

But then that was where Hanatarou and Ganju worked, and Rukia hesitated before going in. This was because of the fact that Ganju hated her, and always made such a scene growling insults at her.

If it wasn't for the great need that she felt to get those chocolates, she would not have entered at all. She prayed for luck as she slipped into the junk aisle... maybe Ganju wouldn't notice her.

She tugged her scarf higher to cover part of her face, then grabbed several bars of quality chocolate and head for the counter where Hanatarou's at.

The petite girl kept her violet eyes on the floor, as Hanatarou scanned the prices.

The store was empty except for the three of them, and Ganju suddenly yawned, out of sheer boredom.

"Hey Hana." He said, flipping open a magazine. "Wanna go out for a drink later? My sister says there's this good place where there's lots of hot chicks looking for abit of fun.. if you know what I mean." Out of the corner of her eye, Rukia saw him wink teasingly at Hanatarou who blushed. "I-I don't drink, Ganju-san!"

"Aw, c'mon, it's time you got a girlfriend!" he laughed, despite being single himself. But Hanatarou, halfway putting the purchases in a plastic bag, slowed and bit his lower lip.

Ganju suddenly stiffened, and Rukia started worrying that her identity would be blown, if Hanatarou did not give her her stuff soon.

"Dude.." Ganju growled, as if frustrated. "Don't tell me you're still crushing on that stupid bi- I mean..."

As if afraid that the customer might be someone who understood what he meant, both Hanatarou and Ganju looked straight at Rukia, and recognised her immediately. "Rukia-san!!" Hanatarou cried, sounding very shocked, and embarrassed. "I-I didn't notice you!! Wh-what I mean to say is, er.. there're hundreds of customers in and out everyday, and well, so many faces, well, um... not that your face is ordinary, just that.. er..."

"What are you doing here?" Ganju snarled, and advanced menacingly on her. "You're not welcome here, you stupid, pretentious-"

"Ganju-san!!" Hanatarou cried, and lunged at him to tug at his arm. "Please!"

Flushing from the insults, Rukia snatched up Ichigo's chocolates and fled the store, while Ganju's voice rose to fling filthy swearwords at her.

She stopped running only when his voice faded, and that was a hundred metres away. Leaning on the wall while trying to catch her breath, she hugged the chocolates tightly and tried to blink away the tears that somehow appeared to blur her vision.

Rukia was not mad at him.

_I deserve it, after all. For the wrong I did him in the past._

She walked slowly back home, determined to show Ichigo a bright and bubbly face despite feeling rather chipped inside. Hitsugaya was so cold to her, and after all that Ganju screamed at her...

The neighbour's house, the one that Grimmjow and Ulqiourra lived in, had no lights in it. Rukia gulped at the thought of Byakuya knowing about Ichigo being in her room, and decided to find a swift and painless way to plead Ulquiorra's silence.

Rukia found her brother already home, reading a book on ancient Japanese history.

"Good evening, Nii-sama." She greeted respectfully, her tone full of awe and revere.

Byakuya silently closed his book, and put it down by his side. "Rukia."

"Yes, Nii-sama?" Already her heart had turned heavy at the tone of his voice.

"You seem to be well, despite yesterday's events."

"Y-Yes, Nii-sama." She stuttered. However she felt slightly relieved, if that's all he wanted to talk to her about. He was always so distant as a brother that whenever he wanted to talk to her it was mostly bad news for her.

"It is pleasing to hear that you have recovered so quickly." He continued to say in a steady tone. "Then perhaps I can now tell you my opinion on the matter."

Rukia's insides froze, as cold as the gaze Byakuya was now giving her.

"Renji was under the impression that you were in love with the young man called Kurosaki Ichigo." He said calmly, though his brown eyes flashed dangerously. "I suppose it would be safe to assume that he was hasty in proposing because of the sudden appearance of the said competition."

Rukia only stared at him with wide eyes, the hair on the back of her neck standing.

"Even if by chance you had the lack of sense to agree to his offer of marriage," Byakuya said in his apathetic fashion, "I will still do all within my power to stop you joining him in holy matrimony."

Then he stood up, and once again, Rukia was struck by how very intimidating he was, from his piercing gaze to the graceful way he held his tall form.

"Rukia..." he said, in an unyielding, stern, tone. "I will not tolerate you having romantic attachments of any sort, is that clear?"

She gulped, and found her tongue glued stubbornly to the roof of her mouth. Because she knew that Byakuya was not talking about Renji at all. If Byakuya could mention a hint at a relationship between another guy and his sister, and yet not follow it with a severe warning, was because he was already banning it.

And eventhough it would be easy to deny that there's anything between Kurosaki Ichigo and herself, Rukia found it very hard to do so. But why?

Aren't they just friends? A odd combination of two friends, under strange circumstances, but still-

"Is that clear, Rukia?" Byakuya repeated, and his brow furrowed slightly.

"Yes, Nii-sama." She said, automatically, and bowed.

He seemed to be satisfied with that response, though barely so. "You may be excused."

She thanked him and left, quickly going to her bedroom and shutting the door.

What exactly did Byakuya thought, about her and Ichigo? Did he believe that they were together, like Renji did?

Rukia did not know what her brother's thoughts were, but she had a feeling that Byakuya had waited quite some time to say what he said. Was he waiting to see if Ichigo would get closer to her? And since she and the orange-haired were merely acquaintances on the surface... was Byakuya thinking that she would fall in love with Ichigo because he somewhat resembled the late Kaien-dono?

Suddenly, something that Renji said last night came to her, and it rang audibly in her mind.

"_He's the reason you're going to be taken away again!"_

"Ichigo?" she called, but nobody answered. Even though there was a library book lying near the closet door.

"Hey." She said, in a jovial tone. "I got you something!!'

The petite Shinigami frowned, when only silence replied her that Ichigo was ignoring her.

A muffled sound of a man's body turning in the closet was heard. This time she gritted her teeth and stomped over, her footsteps making soft thumping on the Chappy carpet. First she had Hitsugaya giving her the cold shoulder, then Ganju shouting at her, and now him? The guy that's always supporting her in that unorthodox way of his?

"Hey, I'm sorry for whatever I did, ok?" Rukia said, knocking loudly on the closet door. And when there was again no reply, she added mockingly, "Will you forgive me?"

She raised her fist to knock again, but this time it slid open, revealing a very expressionless Ichigo.

"I do not bear you any grudge." He muttered, his amber eyes on her and yet, looking as if seeing past her. "There is no need to apologize, you did no wrong towards me."

His melancholic eyes sent chills down her back. His manner of speaking and his stoic face reminded her very much of how he first looked when they met. It wasn't a very pleasant thing for her to see him going back to that state.

"Ichigo.." she said, softly this time. "Are you ok?"

He nodded, though the grip around the book in his hand tightened. "I am very much fine. Thank you for asking."

Rukia didn't like this, and she decided to break him out of this by, perhaps, his favourite earth food.

"Look what I got!!" she grinned, and pushed a bar of chocolate into his hand.

The Vaizard looked down at it, and then back up at her. "Is this for me?" he asked, in a toneless voice.

Rukia's mouth slid down into a unsure smile."... I thought you liked chocolate?"

"Yes, thank you very much." He said, but put it aside.

This was immensely unnerving for the petite Shinigami in front of him. Wasn't he fine, just now at school?

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" she asked, sharply. "Y-You're acting all Vaizard-ish again. Are you.. are you planning to go back? Is that it?"

His eyes widened slightly, and then he said, "No, little Shinigami, I will not return to the Vaizard Station anytime soon, for I have a mission to complete on this planet."

He might as well have hit her across the face.

Rukia stood there, wide-eyed with disbelief that he had called her "Shinigami", a habit that she thought was long gone.

It was too much... after such a terrible day, with Ulquiorra, Hitsugaya and Ganju, coming back to a man that she thought she could count on, only to find him changed... was unbearable.

But of course, being Kuchiki Rukia, she continued to hold herself composedly, and stared straight into his amber eyes. Except that they weren't looking at her.

His gaze was lowered, as if he was abashed about something he did..

"What happened?" Rukia demanded, folding her arms and frowning at him. "Why the sudden change in you?"

"Nothing happened." The alien replied smoothly, but still looking at the carpet. "I just... realized something."

"What's that?"

"Nothing of vast importance." He said, and tried to cover up that lie by closing the door, only that Rukia blocked it in time, and pushed the closet door back open.

"You eat that chocolate. Now." She ordered, irritated at his strange change of attitude. And calling her Shinigami..

The Vaizard did not hestitate, but picked up the bar of chocolate and began to unwrap it, without any sign of the slightest emotion.

Rukia sat back on her bed and watched him bit into the candy, and steadily consumed it with even bites, still without any hint of expression whatsoever. She felt disappointed, but did not show it.

After all she endured to get that candy for him...

The raven-haired girl sighed inwardly, and watched the Vaizard eat the chocolate with his back up so straight his head was scrapping the top of the closet. He even stopped slouching the way he started to after they became familiar.

After some time of silence, Rukia spoke out of a desperate will to hear him say something. Something that wasn't Vaizardish and formal, but something her Ichigo would say.

"So tell me more about what you Vaizards eat?" she asked, lying back on her Chappy pillows and gazing at him. "Do you have fish in outer space? Or even meat?"

"We get all our food supplies from the Urahara Shoten." He said, without any indication that he was irritated at having once said this, as what he usually would. "They are a reliable source of supplies and information. And the food we consume is quite similar to what Shinigami eat, as we are but an evolved species that originated from their kind."

He's talking about all those 'more evolved' nonsense about. She thought bitterly, and wondered at his sudden indifference to the Urahara Shoten, when she could recall how much dislike he had for that small planet.

"A-And King Urahara? The ruler of that planet? Isn't he a pervert and all that?" Rukia lightly asked, hoping to hear a tone of dislike issue from Ichigo's throat.

"Yes. One would think so."

"Tell me more about him." She said, determined to hear him speak more.

"There is not much to tell."

"Yes there is."

Ichigo stared at Rukia, who glared defiantly back, commanding him silently to say unruly things about this Urahara that he was supposed to dislike.

"I was given the impression that he was once a Shinigami." Ichigo said monotonously, "And he would seem to be, given how unshaven his general appearance is. "

Not quite there yet, the petite girl decided. "General appearance?"

"Blonde, messy hair ... with a green and white striped bucket hat that is constantly giving shadow to his eyes. And wooden sandals." Ichigo added, after a slight pause.

This did not reflect any emotion whatsoever, but then the dull tone had pierced something very old in Rukia's chest. Perhaps it wasn't the tone at all, but then as her chest suddenly gave a constricted pain, Rukia could picture this Urahara, very very clearly in her mind's eye, as though she had seen him before, and spoke to him... when he was also carrying a cane, with a black coat that had white diamonds on his back..

But of course that couldn't had happen.

Ichigo was still watching the carpet intently, so he did not notice the sudden change of expression on Rukia's face.

Silence stretched on as neither said anything, and Rukia regained her composure, though inside she was still very confused.

"I'm going to bed." She tested, daring him to question the time, but he did not say anything.

"There's some more chocolate here, if you want any." She said, but he shook his orange head and closed the door.

Leaving Rukia alone.

* * *

It was terribly difficult, but he managed it.

Ichigo continued staring into the darkness of his closet, listening to the petite Shinigami's gentle breathing outside. She had really fallen asleep after their little conversation, despite it being only around evening. She probably had a tiring day.

The orange-haired Vaizard gritted his teeth while recalling the heartless, cold way he had to show himself to her, just to keep his distance.

It was very hard to call her Shinigami again, and more difficult still to see her hurt expression from that word.

But he managed to keep the mask of indifference on, and he cursed himself for it.

The Vaizard did not want her to be tortured by the memory of Kaien-dono with his presence... and to do that he would have to maintain this wall between them.

Could he do it? He was already tormented just by fifteen minutes of that, could he keep himself from her for the rest of his life?

He quietly slid open the door and slipped out onto the carpet, making it slowly to the side of her bed.

_She is so beautiful._

That the alien subconsciously thought, and continued to admire her soft, white skin, the lovely ebony lashes of her closed eyes... the graceful way she was lying on her back, her head tilting only a little to the direction of the closet..

_I can never have her... I must never be with her..._

Even with these thoughts Ichigo felt as though life had ended.

But then he still wasn't dead, as he was basked in such beauty that radiated off her sleeping form.

He felt alive, yet terribly tortured, looking at something that he must never have.

_But she is so beautiful... even when in slumber she commands such grace and elegance.._

Without realizing how, Ichigo was drawn nearer, so that he was now leaning down, closing in on the distance he was supposed to maintain. But he did not notice this. He was lost in her mesmerising beauty, the soft loveliness that he always saw in her, whether in dreams or in her fury..

Kurosaki Ichigo15xv did not think of the rationale of his following action, as any Vaizard would judge as disgusting and completely outrageous, but then the orange-haired Vaizard no longer cared about anything but her.

He was so close.... and he could even feel the warmth from her body.

Her pink lustrous lips, slightly apart in her slumber, were only inches away from his mouth now. Ichigo gazed down at her serene face, and found himself speaking.

"My little Shinigami.." he whispered, his breath lightly brushing against her skin. "Please, never find out...I beg of you."

Ichigo closed in, and lightly, very lightly brushed his lips against the side of her sleeping mouth. With all his affection, all the warmth he felt for her.

"Please never find out that I love you."

He then left her side, as swiftly as he came, with newfound determination to remain emotionless to her. Perhaps it had sprouted from the guilt that he had allowed himself to be so transfixed to do such a thing.

Rukia woke up in the middle of the night, and wonderedwhy the side of her mouth tastes of a hint of chocolate.


	16. The letter, and an indirect confession

_Shinigami-_A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

_Vaizard-_Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

_Arrancar_-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

_Chappy_-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

* * *

Rukia licked the side of her mouth again with bewilderment.

It could very well be her imagination, but it did taste a little of chocolate.

She wondered why, and felt even more curiosity at how that part of her skin tingled.

Shrugging it off, the raven-haired girl snuggled back into her warm covers and sighed wistfully, as she recalled the wonderfully sweet dream she had last night.

She had started off with a bad dream at first, she remembered, with a tiny grimace. Something that was dark and gray was pouring rain at her, and a dog was yapping quite persistently in the background. It sounded like Pyon. Rukia wondered briefly how it was doing, but then since Ichigo said that it had went to some lady, it would seem to Rukia that the dog had just returned to its rightful owner.

Then the dream suddenly turned vivid and bright with colours. She felt warm again, and was standing in a field with flowers of some kid. Snowdrops... she was standing in a field covered with snowdrops. And there was a lovely, subtle scent of strawberries, even though dream experts state that it is impossible to dream about smelling in dreams.

In her dream Rukia tried to follow the scent, but it was everywhere, surrounding her and embracing her as though it was a dear friend, eager to comfort, please, and serve her.

It was strange.

Then Rukia suddenly remembered, in her drowsy state, as she laid cosy and warm in her bed, that the ending to the dream was that a noble prince came into her field of snowdrops, which had turned into dandelions that blew snowflakes, and declared his undying love for her.

The raven-haired girl grinned and drew the Chappi covers tighter around her. It was terribly romantic, and just the type of dream any girl would like, though it was too bad Chappi was not in it.

She better not tell Ichigo about it , however, since he's likely to sneer.

But then she would prefer if he did, than being all unemotional like he started to yesterday.

Rukia sat up, suddenly awake, and looked at his closet. It was several minutes before she jumped up, with her decision made.

Alright, she would tell him about the dream.

Just to see have him scoff at her.

She would risk having her feelings hurt, because scoffing, jeering, sneering, contained a smile in it, however malicious it may be.

"Yo, Ichigo!!" she called, banging on his door. "Wake up!! You would be turning fat if you sleep so much!!"

There was no response, even when she knocked a second time.

"Hey!! Don't tell me you died, ok?" she said, hesitatingly.

"I'm going to open the door now..." she called with a half-hearted tone, because she knew that he wasn't in, and yes, when she slowly opened the closet door, it was empty.

_He's avoiding me. _

That was the first thought that jumped to Rukia's mind, but then she comforted herself with doubts, that maybe Ichigo had to hurry somewhere... do something.

But _what?!_ Didn't he, a Vaizard state nagging-ly that Earth customs and beliefs are inferior to the Vaizards' in every possible way?

Maybe he lost a Shakespeare book or something...

Rukia tried to swallow these lies she was feeding herself, even as her guts told her that something serious was up with Ichigo himself.

Well, she had no time to ponder over this. She glanced over Grimmjow's and his housemate Ulquiorra's home through her window, and frowned to herself.

She had to talk to Ulquiorra. To ask him not to tell Byakuya that he knew that Ichigo was in her room most of time. Because that would lead to disaster.

She continued to stare blankly ahead, and had images of Ulquiorra's cold, melancholic eyes and the memory of the heavy, suffocating atmosphere that his presence inspired, run through her head. And thus she decided that she would write a letter instead.

Rukia rummaged through her drawer for an envelope, and found only the perfumed, pink envelopes with Chappi heads in each corner. With rainbows and hearts on them.

It was decided, after a pause, that it would have to do, and the petite girl set it aside as she pulled out a sheet of paper and with much thought, started writing.

_Dear neighbour_, (as she did not know the proper spelling for his name, and was afraid for a mistake) _It was nice to make your acquaintance yesterday. I trust that we could be in each other's confidence as neighbours... and I hope you allow me to be straightforward in this matter, for what you mentioned to me yesterday I am afraid should not be repeated to my esteemed brother. The matter of my friend occasionally being in my hospitality, if you would allow for memory to be refreshed. I thank you profoundly._

_With good will,_

_Your neighbour. _

(She dared not add her name there in case it would by any chance fall into Byakuya's hands)

Rukia bit her lip nervously. It was no use. It was too formal. It was stupid to write a letter. Ulquiorra would not be so kind. She was being dumb.

Still, she put on her school uniform and snatched up her bag, then made her way downstairs as these negative thoughts nagged at her.

She walked determinedly across to her neighbour's house, sure that no one, especially her brother's spies was watching her. Then she slotted the pink letter in her neighbour's letterbox, before hurrying quickly away to school. The fact that she didn't eat breakfast didn't seem to bother her. She had no appetite, and was only too glad to go to school early, to avoid Kiyone and Sentarou, and perhaps discover what exactly it was that kept Ichigo so busy.

Deep in her thoughts of a orange-haired Vaizard, it was only when she reached the gates of Sereitei High did she realize that Grimmjow could be the one to open that letter, and her heart froze cold. She leaned against the pillars of the school entrance, and took a deep breath. The intake of cold winter air chilled her nostrils.

No...even if Grimmjow, or anyone else read it, they couldn't tell for sure it was her, Kuchiki Rukia that sent it.

Confident in that, the raven-haired girl walked up to the school doors, only to have a football cut into her path.

"Hey Kuchiki-san!!" shouted Tatsuki, from a distance away. "Do you mind passing it over here? I kicked it a little off target."

Rukia blinked at the sudden request, and summoned her athletic senses to give a swift kick, but her foot missed the ball completely and she stumbled, her face flushing red.

"Oy..." she heard Tatsuki sighed, "Wait there, I'll come over."

"Sorry .." Rukia mumbled, as the tomboy jogged nearer. "I'm not good at sports...I-"

"It's ok." Tatsuki said, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "So what're you doing alone?"

Rukia stared at her for a while, for asking such a question. She was sure that Tatsuki did know about Hitsugaya with his sprained ankle, and that Kuchiki Rukia had no other friends except for the occasional acquaintance.

"Toushiro sprained his ankle, remember?" Rukia tested, slowly. "It was at your soccer match..."

"Yeah... but what about Ichigo?" Tatsuki said, of all the sudden. "You were walking with him a few times right?"

Rukia tried not to look too surprised. "No, just once... or twice."

"Uh-huh..."

"I've hardly even talked to him." Rukia said, a little too hurriedly. Tatsuki was staring at her in a strange, and not a very friendly way. "I barely even know the guy."

"Yeah, he seems like a one-woman type of guy anyways." The tomboy said as-a-matter-of-factly, to an increasingly bewildered Rukia. "Don't you think so?"

"Er... I guess so?" the petite girl muttered. "Why?"

"Nothing." Tatsuki smiled, this time looking a little sympathetically at her. "He's a nice guy. Very unlike most guys nowadays. Really good at soccer, too."

Rukia was now wondering whether Tatsuki had a crush on Ichigo.

"I think he really likes Orihime!!" Tatsuki exclaimed, and grinned enthusiastically.

"W-what??"

How on earth did Tatsuki get an idea like that?

"Oh come on," said Tatsuki, with a hint of impatience. "She's hot!! Every guy in school has a major crush on her!! A new guy would be no exception, I think!"

"Yes...um.." Rukia wanted to assure her that she didn't doubt Inoue Orihime's ability to attract the opposite sex, it was just that she was very sure that Ichigo was not in love with the long-haired girl. But then she didn't want to argue with Tatsuki, or made as if she cared in the matter. "...Ok... if you say so."

The only response Tatusuki gave was to roll her eyes, and kicked her soccer ball away.

00000000000000000

_I kissed her..._

_I can't believe it. I stole yet another kiss from her._

The memory of the night they met was haunting him again. When he forced himself on her, blinded with the confidence he had in Vaizard knowledge, that he thought her to be willing to sleep with him.

She had screamed angry little words at his intention, but he did not care, no... Shinigami are lying creatures and never say what they mean. In the end, deprived of all strength, she had no choice but one way to save herself, which was to make him loosen his guard.

Ichigo grimaced as he thought of how he had compellingly kissed her, and that she pretended to enjoy it, to let his tongue slid into her mouth, between her very strong jaws. The pain which Ichigo now felt wasn't for the memory of the little Shinigami biting down on his tongue, but for the hatred she must have felt for him then.

She hated him then for one stolen kiss... surely she would hate him even more for another?

It didn't matter, because he hated himself already. He didn't deserve to kiss her. Not even to love her.

But he couldn't help himself. He couldn't remember how her lips felt like, from that night. He was too absorbed in himself and his goal, back then, that he did not care to savour how she tasted like.

So Kurosaki Ichigo15xv did not know how it felt to kiss her lips, despite having done so, and the thought drove him crazy.

The thought of not being able to hold her in his arms, to tell her he loved her, and that she is safe as long as he is there.. the thought of not being able to look into her eyes, to talk to her, see her smile for him, in the future... those, too, drove pain into his heart.

Ichigo kicked a pebble across the road. It ricocheted violently against the wall and crashed loudly into some trashcans. A crack spread on the spot where the pebble hit. Luckily the only witness to this display of Vaizard strength was an alley tabby on the wall, and it had screeched loudly while flying off in the opposite direction.

He, Ichigo, will only see his beloved Shinigami from far away now. Never again to feel her touch, to see the lovely speckles in her violet eyes, her soft smile as she looked at him...

She would hate him if she found out he kissed her... even though it wasn't on the lips, as he would so dearly desired. She should hate him. He was _despicable_. A poor excuse for one who claimed he loved her.

He was no better than Renji, the inconsiderate fool.

Suddenly Ichigo was interrupted from his thoughts. The orange-haired Vaizard stood still, slightly crouched, alert and watchful.

There, it was apparent. Their footsteps, one bouncing along, her feet making light pitter-pattering sounds, while the other loud scrunching strides in the snow.

Ichigo scowled. He was in no mood for the tomboy Tatsuki and her friend, the slow-minded girl.

In fact, he had no wish to see anyone right now, except of course Rukia, whose absence right now augmented his utmost yearning for her. He thirsted so for her companionship, but he did promised himself, that he will not cause her pain with his presence.

So Ichigo decided to stay on the same road he was on. The girls seem to be around three turnings away, so there could be a chance that they wouldn't meet at all.

But as fate would have it, soon Ichigo sensed that they were on the same road as he, directly behind him. Their steps had slowed, and the light bouncy steps had changed into a nervous series of stumbles as she tried again and again to change direction, but there were noisy crunching as the Tomboy grinded her foot into the snow as she gained foothold to pull back her brown-haired friend.

Ichigo ignored them... he could hear them now, whispering and thrilling, as clear as though they were speaking next to him. He walked in normal pace along the road.

The alien did not want to hear anything that they have to say so anxiously to each other. He tried to shut his ears, but even then his hearing was sensitive enough to pick up a few words.

"C'mon... you were practising all night for this!!... Not gonna ... "

"...Too embarrassed!! A thing like this.."

"--- A woman, aren't ya? ...He.."

Ichigo sighed. These chattering are quite irksome... especially since he wanted silence to reflect on his wrongs towards his Shinigami love.

"I thought you liked him?" the Tomboy was saying. "Then go for it!!"

At this Ichigo froze, his amber eyes widened in shock. He quickly pretended he had to tie his shoelaces, and bent down to give an excuse to why he stopped suddenly. He hoped that the girl, Inoue, would walk away in another direction, but then he heard only the Tomboy's wide striding bring her around the corner of the road they were on, presumably to watch, as the light, now solemn steps brought the slow-witted girl nearer to the bent over alien.

Ichigo cursed under his breath, and fumbled with his shoelaces, despite them being an illusion created by the skull badge. He had no excuse to sudden run off now. And he felt cornered. What was he supposed to do anyway?? Sure, he felt sorry for the girl, not being developed mentally as much as people her age, but then he couldn't pretend even to consider her confession.. the memory of her cooking alone was enough to make him retch.

"K-Kurosaki-kun..." said a timid and very very nervous voice. Ichigo wanted to growl in frustration, but retained himself.

"Yeah?" he said, in a normal tone, and even feinted surprise at her presence. "Oh, hello, Inoue. Where's Tatsuki?"

"Umm...." Inoue blushed so red it looked painful. "I-I... um... K-Kurosaki-kun....."

Ichigo looked at her patiently.

"Well... I ... um...."

It was not easy having such low mental ability, Ichigo thought, in sympathy. Perhaps her left brain is sluggish in some areas, as it is the left brain that is related to language and language-related functions... but her right brain was overflowing with wild illusions, so perhaps there is a flaw as well in the link between the two sides of the brain,... Ichigo mused, and suddenly found himself saying, "Hey Inoue."

"Y-Y-Yees?!" she shouted, back straightened in a military salute.

"Let's just walk to school together, you can tell me whatever it is you're trying to say as we go." The alien said nonchalantly, and mentally patted himself on the back. She would be too embarrassed to bring up the subject again, and he would have peace.

Sure enough, Inoue submissively followed him, seeming very happy as she walked beside her darling Kurosaki, practically skipping. She was blushing and did not say another word until they reached class.

People seem to stare as they walk into the classroom. They were early, but still there were students who were already there, and well, they stared. Ichigo glared around at all of them, and people avoided his eyes to cower in their seats, still scared of his punk-like demeanour. The orange-haired alien scowled fiercely. He was very much aware that they looked like a couple, especially with the girl blushing so deeply. He didn't _want_ to look like a couple. Not with her.

Ichigo suddenly realised that there were still one classmate staring at them, not intimidated in the least. To be more specific, the classmate was glaring at him, and not them.

The Vaizard saw that the one glaring was the boy who sat next to him, the bespectacled one with pale skin and dark hair. He seemed to be the first to arrive in class every day, and was the ideal nerd.

Ichigo shrugged it off and sat down in his seat, while the girl sat down in hers.

"U-um, Kurosaki-kun."

"Yes?" said Ichigo, with as much kindness as he could muster, though impatience was welling up within him.

"T-thank you, so much for w-w-walking me to school." Stuttered the girl while her head was determinedly lowered.

"No problem." Ichigo said. "Say, would you excuse me? I gotta go to the library to return some books."

It was an excuse to be alone, and perhaps to stay along the corridor, and watch for Rukia's arrival.

"I'll go with you!!" said Inoue, enthusiastically. "I-I love books!! Especially the one with funny pictures in them!!"

"Oh, never mind." He said, "I just remembered that I already returned those books yesterday. Must have slipped in my mind."

"What kind of books do you like, K-Kurosaki-kun?" asked Inoue, beaming so wide that Ichigo was a little shaken. "I looove stories with princesses, and dragons in them, and-,... and..."

She gulped and smiled happily at Ichigo, her face turning purple. "A-and handsome princes."

"You mean fairy tales?"

"YES!!" Inoue squealed, in an overly bright fashion. "You know them too?! We have so much in common!! Oh, Kurosaki-kun!! I'm so happy!! I've never been so happy since-.. since I've cooked the yam with orange juice lasagne with chocolate toppings, which was my best creation, which was years back, and then I split some on my brother's files, and he wasn't mad because he's the best brother in the whole torld, I mean w-world, and then he told me that I am a good cook, and that when I'm grown up, I- I could... I would cook for.." Here Inoue stopped, and stared bashfully down at her desk, smiling all the time.

Ichigo's eyesbrows disappeared into his orange fringe, slightly frightened by her overwhelming bubbliness. Why is she babbling so much nonsense, anyway?

So he had to endure her continuous rants, and mostly about gibberish, as the rest of the seats were filled.

Ichigo waited patiently, a tolerant smile etched into his face and his head automatically nodding every time Inoue paused for breath. The alien was waiting, of course, for his Shinigami to appear by the classroom door. He wished his seat was near enough the window to see the school yard, but it wasn't, and he had to content himself with just remaining where he was.

Soon she appeared, her petite little figure cutting a delicate, elfin form at the door frame where she stood for a moment. Ichigo couldn't meet her gaze, or made his feelings clear by looking in her direction. He allowed himself a glance, before turning back to Inoue's excited ramblings, and pretended to listen.

The presence of his Shinigami lit up the entire classroom. It was a small, cramped little space at first, but her being in it made it suddenly bright, colourful and wonderfully spacious. She walked to her desk, her eyes on them. Her expression, Ichigo saw, by the corner of his eye, was unreadable. It seemed more elegant than ever, and her steps more graceful. Rukia soon sat down, her back facing him, and took out her sketchbook as she did every day.

He realized, as he tore his concentration from Rukia, that the blood had rushed to his face, and that he was subconsciously hoping that she would come over and talk to him.

Ichigo stole one last glance at the back of her head, before sighing quietly to himself and turning back to face Inoue.

00000000000000

Rukia lightly ran her pencil over Chappy's sketchy form, ignoring the stabbing pains in her heart.

Everything made sense now. Everything... from why he was so moody before, to his sudden Vaizard, robotic behaviour.

She felt terribly hurt, and still in shock. It was unbelievable. Tatsuki was right, and she was wrong, after all.

The way the alien was so seemingly depressed, as though repression of some feelings were taking its toll on him. The way he would sigh broodingly as though lovesick, from inside his closet when he thought that it was late enough for her to be asleep. And the other day she caught him flipping through her love manga, as though searching for romantic advice.

Rukia closed her eyes and maintained a stoic expression. She was a Kuchiki... a Kuchiki always keep calm and level-headed. But inside she felt as though someone had run a blunt knife through her heart and was twisting it sadistically.

Then he turned back into the Vaizard Ichigo, and Rukia knows why.

It was probably stressful for him, to live with her, a Shinigami, and had to hide his true form all day. Perhaps it was like hiding his true nature, and by also pushing away his original purpose for coming to Earth, it must be really tiresome for him.

The raven-haired girl nibbled at one side of her lip, unknown to her, near the side where Ichigo's lips brushed against. She knows why the alien was moody before.

_Because Ichigo fell in love with Inoue Orihime_, the prettiest girl in school, and that he was probably fighting with his Vaizard pride, whether to accept such a feeling for an Earth girl.

Rukia should have known earlier. He was always eating with the long-haired girl, at her table, as though trying to get near her. And the soccer match, he joined the team to impress her with his superior speed and strength, Rukia was sure of it. The way he was strutting like an overly-proud peacock whenever he scored a goal, smirking his face off...

Then today, Ichigo was _blushing_ while Orihime talked to him. He seemed very overwhelmed, as well, and Rukia had never seen him smile like that before.

She felt despair, and betrayed. Ichigo never said a word about it to her... didn't _her_ opinion matter, in something like this?

He promised once that he wouldn't leave her ever again, but then she had persisted that he left her when she wanted some time alone after Renji's proposal... and he took it seriously as a wish to break that promise?

And why he had suddenly turned back to an expressionless behaviour?

Because he had finally decided that he had enough of hanging around, and is ready to return as a Vaizard to the Vaizard station, as matured as any of them, as it was his goal.

_Because he has found a suitable mate to initiate his Vaizard maturity, and that he had chosen Inoue Orihime, as he had fell in love with her._

Her lips trembling, Rukia loosely sketched spiky short hair and feelers on a scowling Chappy, and brutally stabbed it.

* * *

**A/N: I just watched Fade to Black, the Ichiruki movie, and it was just awesome!! It surpassed the first and second Bleach movie entirely without trouble.... and it was really great having Ichigo calling "Rukia!!" every few minutes with such dedication... huhuhuhu...**


	17. Gym class

_Shinigami-_A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

_Vaizard-_Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

_Arrancar_-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

_Chappy_-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

"And so, does anyone have any questions regarding this lesson?" Ise-sensei asked coldly, pushing up her glasses in a stoic fashion. "If so, ask now."

No one raised their hand, despite having some difficulties understanding all the facts. They were all too intimidated by her stern look. The only two capable of comprehending, remembering and gaining from this lesson would be Kurosaki Ichigo and Hitsugaya Toushiro, but the latter was absent with a sprained ankle, and the former was trying to ignore adoring glances from his long-haired neighbour.

Rukia was scribbling down notes as furiously as she could, with the hope to pass these to Hitsugaya later, so that he wouldn't be left behind in the subject. Not that he would have difficulty catching up, but Rukia just wanted to prove herself a good friend to the white-haired boy. She couldn't do much for him other than this, especially with the issue of Hinamori's death. She couldn't even help him talk about it, though she knew, painfully, it was eating him up from the inside. He was only a young boy, after all.

Ichigo's gaze was steadily set on the back of Rukia's head, his eyes glazed over with the many thoughts that clouded his mind. What was she thinking? Is she alright? She does seem quite unperturbed over him suddenly distancing himself like that. But then, he knows that she is a strong, independent girl after all. She doesn't need someone like him jutting into her life, and reminding her of bitter memories.

But to anyone that looked at the orange-haired man, he just seemed as though he is staring ahead, frowning in concentration.

"Alright, then." Ise-sensei then said, "Class dismissed. You may go ahead to gym class."

Just then, as Ise-sensei went to the door, and as half of the class stood up, the classroom door flew open with a loud whoosh, and a very irritated-looking Hitsugaya Toushiro was shown to be at the door, with the walking cane Rukia gave him firmly gripped in his fist, and seated in a wheelchair.

He was still dressed in his pyjamas, and only had a coat loosely hanging over his shoulders. He didn't look cold at all, though. In fact, he was practically blistering with fury, and the fact that he was in a wheelchair with his ankle bandaged up didn't diminish his intimidating aura.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ise-sensei asked sharply, but Hitsugaya completely ignored her. Instead, he pushed himself forward with the cane, and the wheelchair sailed smoothly as the boy was rowing it like one would row a boat.

"Oi, Kuchiki!!" he growled, and Rukia, eyes already wide at his unexpected appearance, practically jumped in her seat. He never called her 'Kuchiki' before... at least, not without any honorifics.

Behind the angry boy genius, Kiyone and Sentarou appeared at the door, both out of breath and still hissing insults to each other.

"What're you playing at??" Hitsugaya practically snarled, his grip tightening until his knuckles turned white. Rukia gulped, aware that everyone in the class was staring at them, including Ise-sensei. "You were supposed to wait for Kiyone and Sentarou!! You know that!!"

"I-I didn't think it was a big deal." Rukia muttered, taken aback with the way Hitsugaya was glaring at her. She had witnessed Hitsugaya glaring at people countless times, but this was the first time she was glowered at like this by the boy. And it was more unnerving that she thought it would be. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this, Toushiro?" She had thought that her two escorts would just return home when they realise she had already left, and, on empty hope, stop insisting accompanying her to and fro from school. She did not expect Hitsugaya to come bursting in like this.

Hitsugay's scowl deepened in ferocity. "You should have waited. You shouldn't have just run off like that."

There was an uneasy silence where no one moved or said anything, and everyone felt uncomfortable at the intensity of white-haired boy's anger. Then...

"Hey Toushiro." A drawling, but harsh voice said. "She doesn't _belong_ to you, you know?"

"Stay out of this, Kurosaki!!" snapped Hitsugaya at once, and Rukia flinched.

Ichigo had seen how perturbed Rukia looked, and that made him instantly annoyed at Hitsugaya, for raising his voice at her. Almost immediately after Rukia had flinched, he felt a deep resentment boiling in his guts for the white-haired boy, and he dealt with this by replying, "Looks like she doesn't want you yelling at her like that. Are you blind?"

"I said, stay out of this." Hitsugaya said quietly, with a sudden change of tone. What he said now was delivered with a low, warning note that sent shudders through those who witnessed the icy way Hitsugaya was now glaring at Ichigo, who was slightly surprised, but didn't show it.

"Toushiro.." Rukia began, timidly. And just this made the fury in Hitsugaya's piercing eyes soften. " I'm.. sorry. If I made you angry."

This seems to calm Hitsugaya down. He stared at her from his wheelchair, his fists loosening gradually, as his expression slowly melted into serenity.

Finally he gave an exasperated sigh, and turned his wheelchair expertly around to face Ise-sensei. "Sorry, sensei, for being absent these few days, and being late today. As you can see, my ankle is not functioning that well for me to move about freely."

Ise-sensei shook herself from the stunned expression she had been wearing, and put on her usual, professional air again. "...And what have you to say about disrupting the class flow?"

"They'll survive." He said, without a hint of cheekiness.

So then Ise-sensei awkwardly left the classroom, wondering why she felt so shaken by a little boy's outburst.

The class slowly dispersed to go to gym class, with much muttering among themselves.

Rukia looked at Ichigo, as he made his way to the door, with Orihime tottering behind him. The orange-haired alien then turn briefly to nod at her, his face as expressionless as she knew it to be yesterday, and disappeared into the corridor.

Hitsugaya was telling Kiyone and Sentarou to go home, and they were wailing their sincerest apologies to him for their failure to escort Rukia, as they inched out of the door.

Soon the two of them were the only ones left in the classroom.

Rukia wondered if she'd need to apologise again, as it seem like such a big deal to the boy, but then before she could open her mouth, Hitsugaya suddenly said, "Geez, baka. You had me scared to death."

His petite friend widened her eyes in surprise, but he ignored it, pretending to look at a spot on the ceiling. "Don't ever do that again, you hear me?"

Rukia muttered "Ok.", in bemusement, but she didn't think he heard her, as he seemed to be thinking very deeply about something on the ceiling.

"Did Kurosaki make a move on you or something?" Hitsugaya suddenly said, still staring upwards.

"W-what?"

"Did he make a move on you?" the white-haired boy repeated, his tone flat.

"...No.." Rukia said, more confused than ever. "I don't think... he didn't... Anyway he's with Inoue now. I think."

"Uh huh." Hitsugaya said, in a bored tone. "She's been infatuated with him since he came, anyway."

"Really?" Rukia said, surprised. "I knew she liked someone... but I didn't suspect.. well. I didn't think that it would be Ichi-... that guy."

Hitsugaya's teal emeralds had swivelled to look sharply at her from the corner of his eyes. He always seems overly suspicious about Rukia's relationship with Ichigo, even if it supposedly, on the surface, didn't exist.

"I have to go to gym, now." Rukia muttered. "You didn't have to come to school just to check on me, you know."

"Remind yourself that, only sister of tycoon Kuchiki Byakuya, the next time you are kidnapped because you were walking alone."

They then went their separate directions, with Hitsugaya saying that he'll be at the library, and Rukia, walking off with her back facing Hitsugaya, didn't see him sigh silently, and massaged his temples as though in pure relief.

She was instead absorbed in confusion. Why was Hitsugaya acting so weird this few weeks? He was never this obsessed about escorting her around before. Was there something she was missing?

Rukia then made her way to the girl's locker rooms, when suddenly, as she walked along the corridor, someone called to her. "Excuse me. Kuchiki-san."

Rukia turned around, to see that the voice belonged to Hisagi, her Chemistry teacher. He was smiling and looking like he was attempting to be friendly, something quite uncommon for him.

* * *

"T-that was really brave of you, to stand up for Kuchiki-san like that." Orihime said, her large brown eyes misty and adoring. "I-I wouldn't have... I mean, well, of course I didn't, if I would then I would have, wouldn't I?" she tittered. Then she added, nervously, "Hitsugaya-san is scary."

"He's just a brat." Ichigo said, distractedly. They were all hanging around in the gym, and he was wondering where was Rukia. She wasn't with the girls, and she couldn't be still stuck in the locker room.

_Maybe she's still talking to that little midget. , _Ichigo thought, feeling a little irritated at the thought. What's so great about that kid anyway? He dared to raise his voice at her too... and Ichigo would have crushed his face if Rukia wouldn't have hated him more for it.

Just then the alien felt uncomfortable. Something felt heavier in the air, of all the sudden, and it was getting more and more distinct. It increased to a level that made the Vaizard terribly uneasy, and then the gym entrance opened.

"Yosh." Said a coarse voice, and immediately everyone stopped chattering to look silently at the approaching figure.

_Who's this guy?_ Ichigo thought, observing the overall respect and awe that flowed from the Shinigami students, especially the male ones.. The man who came in was a little strange to look at. He was extremely tall and muscular, and had a harsh, brazen air about him. His hair was spiked up in a curious fashion, he had an eye patch on the side that had a long scar running down it, and... were those _bells_ on the tips of his hair??

"Hehehe!!" Ichigo heard a high-pitched voice giggling, and had to look around for a while before noticing a little pink-haired girl jumping around the man, barely reaching his knee level. "Ken-chan!! Ken-chan!! What do we do today??"

Hm... they were a strange duo for Shinigami standards. Ichigo watched, his interest perked, as the little girl grabbed on to the man's right leg, and laughed happily while he walked ahead. They emitted a rather fascinating aura for Shinigamis.

"Who're they?" he muttered to Orihime, who smiled energetically. "Oh, of course you don't know him, K-Kurosaki-kun, right? S-since you're new here... I- I keep forgetting that you're new... you seem so old to me. N-not old... as in _old...." _Orihime's voice faltered as Ichigo gave her a blank stare. "I-I mean... he's Zaraki Kenpachi. She's Yachiru..."

Then the long-haired girl lowered her gaze and did not speak any longer for some time, her face a crimson red.

Ichigo again felt bad for inducing the need of answering him upon her. It was obvious she was not capable of such a mental action without feeling the stress build up.

"Alright, today we'll be learnin' about them proper techniques on ... volleyball." Said the man, who the Vaizard supposed to be their _gym teacher, _a position responsible for teaching Shinigami students various sports, and keep them in shape for fear of obesity at a young age. He sounded as though he had just picked that out of a flimsy whim, however.

"Hahahaha!!" laughed the pink-haired girl Yachiru, in high spirits. She suddenly appeared at Kenpachi's right shoulder. "Volleyball is fun, eh, Ken-chan?!"

"Alright, warm-up first. Hundred push-ups for you guys. For the girls, get over there and do... Uh... "

"Fifty thousand!! Fifty thousand!!" cried Yachiru, beaming happily.

"Fifty thousand." Kenpachi said nonchalantly, and turned away from them.

The girls were gasping in disbelief, but silently so. It seemed that no one dared to cross the gym teacher.

Ichigo assumed that Yachiru, despite her youth, was _supposed_ to be the coach for the females, while Zaraki handled the males. But they were so stuck together, like a pirate with his talkactive parrot on shoulder, that they were in charge of both genders at the same time.

So the class reluctantly started their push-ups. Ichigo wondered once again about Rukia, and where she was, as he got down on the gym floor.

He hoped that the gym teacher wouldn't be strict enough to give her a hard time on being late. Though of course he'd find a way to protect her from any punishment the teacher may impose upon her.

The alien steadily worked his way through his push-ups, careful as usual about keeping the Shinigami limit. However, as most male students around him groaned and slowed until they were just staring down at the ground and panting, along with the female students on the other side of the gym already collapsing (with the exception of Tatsuki ), Ichigo remained fresh as a daisy, as though he was doing nothing more strenuous than lounging by the pool. In fact, by Vaizard standards, the comparison was quite precise, but nobody knew that.

Ichigo reached the fifty count soon without much effort and stood up, casually observing his surroundings. It was quite boring for him to be around Shinigami... his only reason for doing so was raven-haired and petite anyway. And absent.

"Done?" Kenpachi asked him, as he was the lone figure standing among gasping students sprawled over the floor. "Hundred sit-ups. You, help him." He gestured carelessly at Sado Yasutora, the gentle giant, who had just gotten up from his push-ups. It seemed that he had not much trouble with his, either. Tatsuki, on the other side of the gym, proved the same.

"Eighty-six, eighty-seven!!" She was shouting, as she continued sturdily, with a couple drops of sweat falling from her brow.

"Hey Chad." Ichigo said, lifting his hand in greeting as he sat down, with the tall young man holding down his feet.

"It's Sado..." said Sado, patiently, and Ichigo started his sit-ups.

Of course he had no problems with it, but then the orange-haired alien soon realised that Kenpachi was staring at him, with a growing grin on his tanned face.

The Vaizard felt immediate discomfort at this, and slowed his pace after his fiftieth push-up. But while he could fake his superior IQ by occasionally putting in the odd mistake and wrong answers, and disguise his light, elegant strides by adopting a slightly scruffy, lazier style of walking... sweat cannot be forced out, tension of the muscles cannot be faked, and thus Ichigo suddenly had the fear of being exposed.

He tried clenching his teeth in determination, and heaving breaths in exhaustion, but Kenpachi wasn't fooled. "C'mon, stop slacking off." He said, in an impatient tone. Yachiru was silent, her eyes wide as though anticipating a form of great entertainment.

The other classmates started to form a loose gathering around them, slightly panting from their unfinished fifty. Ichigo noticed that Kenpachi was ignoring the fact that most of them didn't reach his stated fifty, and realised that Kenpachi never expected them to, in the first place. So that was why 'fifty thousand' was so easily given. All the girls had already given up, with Tatsuki being the last one. She was now out of breath with her brow shiny with sweat, slouched on the floor, with Orihime looking on in concern at her friend.

Ichigo hesitantly continued his sit-ups, trying not to look too nervous. If this went on, Ichigo could go up till thousands before breaking a sweat, and that wouldn't look too inconspicuous, would it?

"How many so far?" a boy with thick-framed glasses asked, to no one in general.

"Seventy-nine." Sado said calmly, his brown eyes mildly glazed with his usual, slightly faraway look.

Ichigo was dreading what would happen if Kenpachi tried to find out the limit of his stamina. Maybe he could fake a cramp, or a stomach ache, and get sent to the nurse's office.

However, just as he reached ninety-four, Ichigo saw a large foot flying towards him.

In the confusion of wondering why was there a foot flying towards him, it didn't occur to Ichigo, as he pulled out his feet from under Chad's hold and turn to block the foot on reflex, to let Kenpachi kick him in the face just to avoid suspicion.

The impact was so great that Ichigo was forced backwards on his position, but he remained a tough stance.

A few seconds passed before the stunned silence changed to little gasps of amazement.

"Good stamina, good strength, speed and reflex, huh.." Kenpachi was grinning, the look on his face similar to that of a madman's. Ichigo released his foot, though it would be smarter to crush it with his alien strength and run away. Yachiru's expression was serious now. She continued to stare at Ichigo from Kenpachi's shoulder, looking very solemn.

"What's your name, boy?" Ichigo did not favour Kenpachi's tone. It was maniacal, bloodthirsty even.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"....New kid, eh?" Kenpachi mused briefly, before turning to the boy nearest to him and barking out an order. "You there!! Go get some bamboo swords!!"

The boy only stared blankly at him, looking baffled.

"Them kendo swords." Kenpachi explained, without much patience. "Go on, what're you staring at? Today's lesson will be about kendo instead of... whatever I just said. "

"K-kurosaki-kun!!" cried Orihime, running to his side, with Tatsuki right behind her. "A-are you alright?"

Anyone with functioning eyes could see that Ichigo was alright in physical terms. His breath was not the slightest bit heavy, but he was starting to pale, as he looked at Kenpachi. The gym teacher was staring at him as though he was a piece of meat.

"Ichi!!" Yachiru cried in a high-pitched voice, and it was a while before Ichigo realised that she was referring to him. "You show Ken-chan a real, real good time, okkk??"

The alien didn't like the sound of that. First of all, it sounded suggestive in filthy Shinigami terms, but then it also tells of how this tall man liked violence. Or at least challenges.

But how much of a challenge could sparring a (supposedly) fifteen-year old boy be?

Also... from the way Rukia reacted the last time he danced along the human boundaries of strength and speed... he'd rather not upset her in repeating that last episode.

"Sir..." Ichigo said, trying to insert a painful note in his tone, but failing considerably. "I don't feel well. I'm getting some ...leg cramps. "

Kenpachi didn't seem to notice him speaking, but Ichigo knew that he was being ignored.

"Kurosaki-kun!!" Orihime cried, in utmost concern. A crease of worry appeared at her brow. "Are you in pain?"

"Oh, you're in for it now, Ichigo." Tatsuki whispered, grinning in that tomboy fashion though she looked exhausted. She carelessly wiped her sweaty brow with her sleeve. "Kenpachi loooves a good fight. He's always looking for good opponents."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ichigo asked, disgruntled. Tatsuki only shrugged.

The boy returned with kendo equipment, with headgear and everything, but Kenpachi only took the bamboo swords. He tossed one to Ichigo, who made a show of fumbling before catching it. Though that did not faze Kenpachi in thinking that Ichigo was a worthy opponent. The tall Shinigami's mind seem to be set on beating Ichigo half to death... or at least that was what he looked like he was going to do. Yachiru jumped off Kenpachi and landed gracefully among the silent spectators.

"I... don't want to fight you." Ichigo said, abandoning the 'sir'. "This seems completely unnecessary." Also, gym class seemed completely unnecessary. So does standing about associating with Shinigami when the one Shinigami he wanted to see was not around.

"Alright... " Kenpachi said, his grin widening to a measure that one would think impossible. "I'll let you go first. Hit me. I won't dodge."

"That's even more reason for me not to spar." Ichigo said, not taking a fighting stance. "You can't make me fight you."

"Hiee!! That's no fun, Ichi!!" Yachiru wailed, and Orihime piped up, "Are your cramps ok, Kurosaki-kun?"

"You know these bells?" Kenpachi said suddenly, pointing to his pointy hair with his sword. "These are to let my opponent have it easier in telling where I am. When their eyes fail them, their ears help them with these ringing sounds."

Ichigo did not say anything. He believed that the man standing in front of him was capable of such speed.

"And I handicap myself with this eye patch." Kenpachi continued, tapping at the black eyepatch. "Creating a bigger blind spot for myself, to my opponent's advantage, so that a fight can last longer."

Ichigo gritted his teeth. It wasn't that he was afraid, and Zaraki Kenpachi knew that. "I won't fight."

In response, Kenpachi, tired of waiting, rushed forward with such speed that Ichigo barely had time to be reminded to follow the human limit on speed, and at the same moment, pick up his sword to block Kenpachi's attack.

Ichigo was once again pushed backwards by the force exerted from Kenpachi. He grunted at the displeasure of being pulled into this fight, and looked up to see Kenpachi's face inches from him.

It was terrifyingly shocking to see such an demonic expression. Having started the fight, Kenpachi seemed charged up and happy, in a psychotic kind of way. He whipped back his bamboo sword, only to slam it down ferociously on Ichigo's defence. Again and again Kenpachi attacked, only to be blocked by Ichigo. Though the speed and force of his attacks rose with each second, as though he was only warming up, and Ichigo knew that he was showing ridiculous power as well by Shinigami standards.

His classmates scuttled further away from the fight, and Ichigo tried to think of a way to end this. He could let Kenpachi win... but then the man was getting increasingly insane by the moment. He was laughing now, his eyes wild with the adrenalin. "Man, you're strong!! I haven't met anyone this strong in a while!!" he barked, excited. "Fight back!! What're you waiting for??"

The bells on the the tips of his spikes were indeed ringing loudly. Ichigo gritted his teeth and continued blocking Kenpachi's attacks from every angle, no matter what the Shinigami threw at him.

Then suddenly, there was a cry, something that was drowned by the jingling bells, something that sounded of determination in it's tone, something that sounded like, "Kurosaki-kun!!"

That was the cry before Kenpachi, as he was blind to her jumping in because she was on the side of his eye patch, drew back his arm for another attack, and thus, there was a loud, eerily hollow thud as his elbow heavily collided with Orihime Inoue.

Ichigo saw the whole thing take place, but he couldn't do anything. Kenpachi had swung down another powerful attack just as the orange-haired alien saw Orihime rush in, and if he had tried to stop her, Kenpachi would have hit him, and caused him to fail pushing her out of the way, anyway.

"Hime!!" cried a red-haired girl with glasses, and hastily ran to Orihime, who was on the floor, grimacing in pain as she gingerly touched the area below her collar bone. Then she coughed, a hollow-sounding, injured cough.

"Hm?" Kenpachi said, looking unhappy to be put off from his fight just because a student was injured. "Oh, I thought I hit a fly."

"Jiggly!!" Yachiru cried, and pushed the thin, black-haired boy who was glaring at Ichigo earlier, out of the way to get to Orihime. "Oh, sorry, Pencil."

Tatsuki was gaping at the whole scene, her expression changing from shock to disbelief to worry in turns.

Ichigo felt the worst.

He beat most people to Orihime, and quickly asked her, "Can you walk?"

But Orihime only said, "I-I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun," and her voice was breaking with the pain. A purplish hue was forming out of the reddish lump beneath her collar bone. Kenpachi's elbow had hit her chest. And with that strength..

_It was my fault._

Ichigo gulped and felt guilt rushing inside him. Such a blow to the chest could prove fatal.

"I'll take her to the nurse's office." Tatsuki said, looking agonizingly pale. She bent down to help Orihime up, but then the long-haired girl's knees buckled distinctly and weight was suddenly put on Tatsuki's shoulders.

Ichigo deftly caught hold of Orihime before she fell. The girl felt limp in his arms, and Ichigo felt another stab of guilt.

"I'll take her." He heard himself saying. "She can't walk anyway."

Orihime said something that sounded like an apology, but her voice was so tight that it became incoherent. Ichigo scooped her up effortlessly, bridal style, as he feared to damage her further. Humans were such fragile creatures. "Hold on, ok?" he muttered to her, and he rushed out of the gym, with Tatsuki following behind them.

"Huh. He's not gonna escape that easily." Ichigo heard Kenpachi say. "He's got potential for a good, full, all-out fight, that one."

Yachiru giggled.

0000000000000000000

**A/N: Yess... that's all for this chapter. Soon there will be coffee and dates involved. And winks.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I would like to hear from you. What do you like about this chapter? Or dislike?**


	18. Coffeefirst dose

_Shinigami-_A term used by Vaizards referring to humans. Means 'Death God' (duh), as humans sin so much, their sins lead them to their death earlier than nescessary. Rukia, Hitsugaya, Ukitake, Byakuya, Renji, and all the others are Shinigami.

_Vaizard-_Alien species in story. According to the infamous Vaizard custom, a young Vaizard will only reach maturity after performing sexual intercourse (ok fine, have sex) but this story ain't a lemon. Ichigo is the only 'immatured' Vaizard left. He wanted to (beep) Rukia, but Rukia pwned him (refer to Prologue). Ichigo also uses this invisible gadget thingi that I HATE. It seems so childish yet it's absolutely nescessary for him to move around without getting spotted. So the next time you read about Ichigo going invisible (whoopee) bear in mind you're not the only one who hates it.

_Arrancar_-Enemy of Vaizards. They are trying to take over Earth, the Vaizard Station, and Planet Urahara Shoten, but the Vaizards are keeping them at bay so everything's fine so far.

_Chappy_-HERO OF THE STORY. WOOT!

"Where are you going??" Tatsuki pulled the back of Ichigo's shirt. "The nurse's office is that way."

Ichigo wordlessly turned and followed her. Orihime was silent in his arms, her face purple with the pain.

"K-K-Kurosaki-k-kun." She seems to be saying, her eyes squeezed shut. "I'm... I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to apologize about." Ichigo said, feeling guiltier with each passing second. The weight of the girl was nothing to his strength, but still he felt as though something heavy was pressing down on his shoulders, adding to the failure that he already regarded himself as Rukia's ...friend.

"Are you that bad at directions?" Tatsuki asked impatiently, as her fuse was running short out of anxiety for her best friend. Ichigo stopped in his tracks, as he had run ahead to a pale blue door up front, thinking that it was the nurse's office. But Tatsuki gestured to a plain white door with a small plate that said, "Nurse's office."

The nurse was fairly surprised to see them. It was probably because of how Ichigo was carrying Orihime.

"She got hit in the chest." Tatsuki explained, sounding out of breath. The tomboy, pale with worry, hurried to show the nurse Orihime's large purple bruise.

The nurse fumbled for her equipment as Tatsuki filled her in on what happened. Ichigo stood there, unsure of what to do, when Orihime said, quietly, "Y-You can put me down now, K-Kurosaki-kun."

"Yeah."

He moved to an empty bed, and placed her gently on the sheets. "How are you feeling?"

She seemed to curl up as he drew his arms away. The long-haired girl's face burned up again, and Ichigo felt a stab of panic. "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." Orihime said, softly, and looked away, hand placed on her bruise.

The nurse came and started checking Orihime's pulse after a quick inspection of the bruise. Ichigo went outside the curtains to give Orihime a little privacy.

"Your pulse is terrible fast." The nurse stated, with a hint of alarm.

Tatsuki was staring blankly ahead, so lost in her bitter thoughts that Ichigo was getting very unnerved. "Hey... you ok?"

"Yeah.." Tatsuki said, her voice cracking slightly. "That was a really hard blow to the chest."

"...Is Kenpachi always so..." Ichigo struggled for a polite word, but Tatsuki filled in, "...crazy? Only when he finds someone strong. He's really into fighting. Some say he was a serial killer before our headmaster let him become a teacher."

There was a silence, before Tatsuki said, not without curiosity, "...You are quite something, aren't you? Fifty push-ups and a hundred sit-ups, and running over here carrying a girl, and you don't even show the slightest bit of weariness. I mean, you're not even out of breath."

"I don't think I can breathe right now." Ichigo replied smoothly, and Tatsuki, looking surprised, nodded. "...I think I know what you mean."

They waited for some time, occasionally hearing the nurse telling Orihime to relax. Soon the nurse came out, and smiled kindly at them.

"Don't worry." She said, in a friendly tone. "She's just a little shocked, that's all. Everything's fine, except for that ugly bruise. "

Ichigo and Tatsuki gave a relieved sigh in unison.

Then they both went behind the curtains to see Orihime, Tatsuki rushing ahead with Ichigo inching forward in uncertainty.

Tatsuki was crooning over Orihime in a way that Ichigo didn't believe possible. She was no longer a harsh tomboy, but now a worried, motherly friend who was protective over her injured companion.

"I'll kill that Kenpachi!!" Tatsuki was saying, in indignant rage. "I'll kill him for injuring my Orihime!!"

Ichigo doubted that she could. Kenpachi would kill her with one look. He was that strong... though Ichigo had a feeling that he would consider weak opponents too boring to fight.

Orihime was gazing at him, apprehension playing on her flushed face. "Um.....I..."

Ichigo stayed silent to give her the space to finish her sentence.

"I...I'm truly sorry, Kuro-...Kurosaki-kun!!" stammered Orihime, her face distorting into an expression of pure distress. "I'm sorry to trouble you like that!! I-I knew I'd get in the way if I tried to help you..."

"Please, there's nothing to apologize about." Ichigo said, trying to be kind, by adopting the voice that he heard Rukia used on Kon. However, he failed in that aspect and his voice turned out gruff.

"No..." Orihime was sniffing now, and both Tatsuki and Ichigo looked at her in alarm. "Kurosaki-kun... I...I'm sorry I had to trouble you... but I had to stop Kenpachi-sensei... I just wanted to help you!!"

Now Ichigo just felt bad.

"I could have handled him..." he said, without much conviction.

"B-But Kurosaki-kun!!" wailed Orihime, her lower lip trembling. "Your cramps!!"

"W-what?"

"Kenpachi-sensei was fighting you even when you had cramps!!" she cried, obviously scared for his safety. Ichigo was stunned speechless for a second, then, desperately pushing aside newly-surfaced guilt, he said, "I'm sorry for making you worry about me... Orihime."

And he meant it.

"Thank you..." the orange-haired alien said, in a clear tone. "I'm sorry that you're hurt, Inoue."

She seemed to have gotten the message, though she stared at him for a whole minute, eyes sparkling with her mouth slightly opened, before bowing down her head and staring at the sheets.

"I think you'd better go." Tatsuki said, her voice abit hollow. Ichigo nodded, and gave Orihime one last look before thankfully leaving.

"Don't worry." The nurse said, in a gentle tone. "You'd be alright. You could expect lots of attention and care from your boyfriend, so cheer up."

This was because, though Ichigo left with the intent of finding Rukia, he was so preoccupied with the heavy guilt that weighed down on him that the nurse who saw his glancing at Orihime, naturally assumed that he was full of concern and worry for her.

And that he loved Orihime, not Kuchiki Rukia.

* * *

"Would you like anything to drink, Kuchiki?" Hisagi asked, his tone warm and friendly. This was enough reason for instant suspicion, and Rukia shook her head lightly. "Er... no thank you, Hisagi-sensei."

They were in the teacher's lounge. No student ever comes into the teacher's lounge... except when they needed to repaint the place, and made a few students do it as punishment for something. In short, they were getting free labour out of the students.

The teacher's lounge was incredibly, and surprisingly comfortable. The atmosphere was peaceful and quiet, and it looked more like someone's living room rather than a place where teachers' gather.

There were biscuit tins and a coffee machine on the counter, with a radio playing soft classical music in a corner. Hisagi promptly turned it off, so that they were suddenly plunged into silence.

He looked at Rukia, and with them being the only ones in the room, Rukia stared back, not without fear.

"I'm having some coffee. " he smiled, "Please have some... it wouldn't feel right if I guzzle caffeine while you stare."

"Alright then." The petite girl said, cautiously. "Cream and one sugar, please."

"Coming right up." Hisagi said, in an extremely pleasant tone. He turned to fix the coffee, and Rukia stared at his back, and played with the idea of stabbing him in the back before running. Because this was definitely not normal. Hisagi-sensei was usually strict as a teacher, and it was understandable, as he was handsome and popular among the girls. If he were to be the slightest bit more friendly... girls would suddenly flirt outright with him by the dozens, so smilingly inviting a female student into the teacher's lounge, where they could be in private, was not something Hisagi-sensei usually do.

Rukia squirmed in her seat, wondering if Hitsugaya could be right about Hisagi. Whenever the white-haired boy talks about him, which is always out of annoyance, it would be to proclaim how mad Hisagi is, along with the topic of whether he shaves his legs before he goes to gay bars.

"Here you go." Hisagi handed her a cream-colored coffee mug with the words "You toucha my mug, I breaka your face" on it. Rukia hesitantly took it, and took a polite sip. It was satisfyingly creamy.

"That's my favourite mug," informed Hisagi, smiling again, like how a grandmother would smile at her favourite grandchild. Or cat. "I like the description on it."

Rukia did not know whether Hisagi was implying whether he wanted to break her face. In response, she smiled uncertainly and put the mug down.

"Do you like the coffee I brewed?" Hisagi asked, still holding his mug as he sat down in the couch opposite hers.

"Um,.. yes.."

"I added something special to yours." He said nonchalantly, and Rukia suddenly started choking on her own spit.

It happened when she tried to gasp and suppress her gasp at the same time.

"Hey, are you alright??" Hisagi asked, in panic. He was suddenly next to her, and thumping her unnecessarily hard on the back. Rukia only found discomfort from him being too close, and tried to turn away, but Hisagi followed suit. "Hey, Kuchiki!! Breathe!!"

In the end Rukia regained her composure, the colour of her face swiftly returning from purple, and her eyes teary.

"Phew, you gave me a fright there." Hisagi said, grinning at her, and when she didn't reply him, returned to his couch and took a swig from his coffee mug. "I thought I was going to have a dead student on my hands."

Rukia stared dubiously down at her mug of coffee, and Hisagi chuckled nervously. "You aren't allergic to cinnamon, are you? I added a pinch of it to yours. Some people like it in their coffee."

"Oh..." Perhaps she was a little too brainwashed by Hitsugaya that her imagination ran a little too wild. "No... cinnamon's fine."

"That's good.. " Hisagi said, relieved. He seems to have nothing else to say, so he repeated it. "That's good..."

Silence ensued, during which Hisagi averted his eyes from Rukia, seemingly uncomfortable as he searched for something to say, and Rukia coldly staring at him, determined to make Hisagi state his point.

"Y-You're probably wondering why I..." Hisagi faltered, and he cleared his throat. "Why I wanted to talk to you."

Rukia didn't look into his eyes. She fixed her gaze instead on his tie. It was a marine blue, which looked nice against his dark grey shirt. Byakuya had quite many ties, though he only wear a few of them. People usually didn't know what to get him, so he gets expensive pens and ties every year.

She wondered briefly how Ichigo would look like in a suit. Probably like Hisagi-sensei. They are about the same size. So Ichigo would probably get the same effect from the shirt... as the cloth rested fittingly on his broad chest, giving implications towards a smooth slope down to a slim waist...Ichigo's waist was definitely more slender than Hisagi-sensei's...

But then this little thought was interrupted when Hisagi cut into the silence.

"Well... actually, Kuchiki.." Hisagi said, drumming his fingers against the armrest, and looking fidgety. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Well, of course, I just said that, didn't I?" he gave a little laugh, and this unsettled Rukia even more. Hisagi-sensei _never_ laughs.

The tattooed man cleared his throat again, and then took a deep breath. This earned him a curious stare from his petite companion.

"Well, I...." Hisagi began, unaware that he was overusing the word 'Well', "Well.... I have been observing you for some time now... and uh.."

Rukia's eyebrows rose significantly. Hisagi was tittering like a nervous schoolgirl, his expression becoming more and more strained as his anxiety was expressed in his sentence gaps. "Er..."

"Well, I knew your existence for years... when I was friends with Renji, but then I've never really gotten a close look at you until recently, you know?" his voice was gentle, though his expression was hard to read.

"This is not a teacher-student thing... I'm actually... actually trying to ... I'm not talking to you as your teacher. But more as a .... Look.. I'm not getting to the point." Hisagi sighed, and ruffled his hair in exasperation. "Hey... you're not touching your coffee." He gave her a little smile, and Rukia swept up her mug to gulp coffee down in an attempt to put some strength back into her knees. They were beginning to feel a little weak... as this was starting to sound like a confession.

"Uh... Hisagi-sensei." She said, flatly. "I really need to go to gym class."

"Don't worry, just say you were with me." Hisagi said, with another one of those smiles. "I could write a note to your gym coach if you like. Just... listen to what I have to say, ok? It's ... important that you do. At least to me."

Rukia clutched her now empty mug for emotional support. The caffeine was smoothly swimming up to her brain, and making her slightly light-headed.

"I'm just saying... please... well, you're a ...nice girl, with other more _sensitive_ guys around and I'm not saying you have to accept, but just... " Hisagi seem to be really struggling for words. "...Just one chance is necessary, you know? If you don't like ..."

"What are you saying, Hisagi-sensei?" Rukia asked, carefully. Her Chemistry teacher rubbed the bridge of his nose, and gave a loud sigh.

"Ok...I give up. I was never good at these kinda stuff anyway." Hisagi said, and stuffed his hand into his pocket, rummaging for something. "It's better if I just show you, huh?"

Then he withdrew, from his pocket, this small box that he opened immediately. A diamond ring, proud and beautiful, glimmered inside.

For a second, out of the build-up tension, a nonsensical voice said that he was proposing, but when reason knocked in, and when she got a closer look at the ring, everything suddenly made sense.

"Looks familiar?" Hisagi asked, with a dry smile. "He just said "Take it," when he was drunk with drowning his sorrows. Didn't work, though."

Rukia opened her mouth to say something, but not knowing what, she closed it again, and blushed.

"Everyone that I showed it to thought I was proposing or something." He said, with a sudden frown. "How stupid is that?"

The diamond on the ring glittered in the weak winter sunlight, showing off the dozens of colors that danced together. It looked as if it were winking at Rukia. She stared miserably down at it, as the memory that she had been trying to smother these few days with pure willpower surfaced back up.

Renji, his face glowing with hope... that familiar face, etched with an affection that Rukia had previously known it only to be friendly... and only until that night realised it to be what it was.

And then she had crushed him, all because he had only acted to how he was. Renji was this huge idiot who only saw Byakuya taking her away, and instead of seeing that she needed a friend and the warmth that accompanies it, he only thought of a way to get her back, and he charged towards that goal, not looking another way.

_That idiot._

Rukia gave out a shuddering sigh, but luckily Hisagi didn't notice her sorrow. She pushed aside her sad little ponderings and sat up straight.

"Look.... he _really_ likes you." Hisagi said, looking awkward. "Ever since I knew him... he never really talked about it, of course, but everyone knew... Hinamori, you know, she was our friend too... she always teased him about it. Why didn't he asked you out already... why wouldn't he just be a little bit braver....but it's surprising, isn't it? How reckless he is in everything, but when it comes to you, he's dead serious, and always sullen whenever Hinamori brings the topic up."

Rukia looked up, surprised. She didn't know this side of this story. "Renji..? You sure, sensei?"

"'Course I'm sure!!" he seemed to be more relaxed now that he got the idea out. The tattooed man leaned back on his couch, and gazed contemplatively at her. "You know... there was once when he nearly gave himself away. Hinamori..." Hisagi smiled a little wistfully at the memory of his dead friend. "She wrote a fake confession letter addressed to you, then told Renji that some boy asked her to give it to you. That idiot spent all day trying to pry it from Hinamori, and kept asking her the boy's name, and whether or not the boy was handsome, etc." Hisagi shook his head, chuckling. "In the end he got it, read it, and flushed it down the toilet. Hinamori laughed for weeks."

The petite girl did not find it funny. In fact she was mortified. If Renji liked her that much then... he must be more heartbroken right now than she thought he might be.

Hisagi was silent for a while, perhaps lost down memory lane.

"How is he?" Rukia asked him, her voice came out softer, more fragile.

"The last time I saw him, I was trying to pull him away from a stupid argument. He was all drunk and yelling unnecessary things at innocent subjects." Hisagi paused at this, and seemed to be thinking about something, before going, "You know him. "

"I'm not surprised... Hisagi-sensei." Rukia stated, though she felt pain for her friend. She knew him enough to know that to go around like what Hisagi-sensei described, Renji must had his world shattered, and his heart ripped into intensely painful little pieces.

And whose fault was that?

"Our other friend, Izuru Kira... he was calling Renji for ages, and then he went to his apartment out of worry. He told me Renji was ... strangely calm, and there were photo albums all over the floor.

"All I'm asking, " said Hisagi, fixing his eyes on her. "Is that you give him a chance.

"Not as his fiancée." He said sharply, as Rukia opened her mouth. "But as a friend, as anyone.... Just go comfort that baboon. That guy had been working like crazy these past few years, all for you. And if you're suddenly shut out of his life like that.... well, a guy just can't take that, y'know?"

"I called him even though my brother was against our friendship." Rukia said quietly. "He never picked up."

But in her heart, Rukia knew that it was because of how he was. When he was set on defeating Kuchiki Byakuya in his own line of business, he would pay no heed to anything else. In fact, she knew that he would consider it dishonourable if he saw her before reaching his goal. And she realised that even if he did pick up, their friendship would become a very strained one, as long as Byakuya was against it.

"Well... it's not that I'm worried that he'll kill himself." Hisagi said, thoughtfully. "He's not the type of man to do that."

"I'll talk to him." Rukia said, before she thought it out properly. It just blurted out of her mouth, and she suddenly found confidence that she would do it, along with the realization that she had been aching to talk to Renji for ages.

"Alright." Hisagi said, and got up to tear some paper from a notebook lying on the nearby table. He grabbed a pen and started to scribble out an address. "He lives right out in the city, near his office... and your brother's company. Your brother travels there every day?"

"Yes, he hired a driver for that."

"Huh." Hisagi said, and proceeded to scribble down a number. "Here's his house phone number... you have his hand phone number, but just in case, right?"

"I think he changed it." Rukia said.

Hisagi shook his head. "Nah. He kept that same number for years."

He handed Rukia the slip of paper, and Rukia glanced down at it. It had two sets of numbers on it.

"The other's my number." Hisagi said, evenly. "I figured it wouldn't be nice to ask a young girl to travel all the way to the city alone."

He just assumed that she would be doing it behind Byakuya's back. And he was right, too.

"Ok." Rukia said, pocketing the number, though she doubted that she would ask Hisagi-sensei to accompany her. "I could ask Toushiro to come with me."

Her tattooed teacher visibly grimaced. "....I think it would be better if you went alone. A heart-to-heart talk, and all that..."

"Then why did you offer to take me, sensei?" Rukia asked tactfully.

"I was going to wait downstairs." Hisagi said in defense. "While you talk things out..."

"Toushiro could wait downstairs..." Rukia said.

They had both forgotten that the white-haired boy had a sprained ankle.

"Well, whatever." Hisagi said, his mood distinctly ruffled by the mere mention of Hitsugaya. "As long as you talk to him. Best if you asked him out for a walk... get some fresh air, get what I mean?"

Rukia nodded, and suddenly Hisagi's eyes swerved to her pocket and his annoyed expression was replaced by one close to fear. "Hey... I can trust you not to give out that number to your fellow classmates, right?"

"If you are going to be bombarded by calls by fangirls, Hisagi-sensei," replied Rukia coolly, "it won't be because of me."

"I didn't mean-.... J-Just... Just give me a call if you need a ride to the city, alright?" Hisagi said, the tattoo 69 twitching along with a facial muscle. "Tomorrow would be a good time."

"Right." Rukia nodded, but she wasn't really considering it. Who'd want to hitch a ride with a teacher? Even though it was for a mutual friend they both cared deeply about, and though many girls would kill to ride with the young, handsome and rugged teacher... Rukia wasn't one of those girls, and she was thinking of the few ways she could get to the city.

She had only been there once, and that was to meet Byakuya outside his office for dinner. He had sent an escort to take her there by car, so Rukia didn't exactly know the way.

Hisagi walked her to the door, and looked out both ways before showing her out. It wouldn't be good to have people witness them together.

"Here." He said, handing her the box. "You take the ring. It's supposed to be yours, anyway."

"Sensei... I really can't..." Rukia muttered, but the tattooed man shoved it into her hands. "I held on to it long enough, Kuchiki."

With that, he closed the door to the teacher's lounge, leaving Rukia in the corridor.

The last fifteen minutes have been surreal, she decided. Hisagi was suddenly nice to her, a different take on his usual stern teaching mode. Of course, that had all been because of a favour he was asking her.

Inside the teacher's lounge, Hisagi was inhaling deeply. Talking to a student like what he did just now was new to him. Of course, teaching was new to him, too, he was probably the youngest among the whole staff.... with the exception of the pink-haired Yachiru, and Hisagi isn't even sure what she does. Headmaster Yamamoto takes in weird people sometimes.

Well, at least the burden of the diamond ring, which was getting heavier in the pocket by the day, was gone now. He hoped that soon Renji would get over himself, and that would very possibly take place only after he and Kuchiki Rukia sorted things out.

Kuchiki seemed nice... less like a drug addict than he thought. He had even up that assumption after Renji had so brashly laughed at it. Perhaps Renji was right. Perhaps she was naturally pale, with huge, bulging eyes, and the thin frame. Perhaps she was merely just a daydreamer, and not suffering from the after effects of the stoning.

But then, if they were all innocent, what was the explanation between the new orange-haired punk, Kuchiki Rukia and Hitsugaya Toushiro?


End file.
